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A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

CHARLES   V,  1519-1558 


WORKS  BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS  IN  THE  ITALIAN  RE- 
NAISSANCE. 

MEN  AND  WOMEN  OF  THE  ITALIAN  RE- 
FORMATION. 

MAXIMILIAN  THE  DREAMER. 

THE  ROMANCE  OF  A  MEDICI  WARRIOR. 

A  PRINCESS  OF  THE  ITALIAN  REFORMA- 
TION. 

ISABELLA  OF  MILAN. 

CHARLES  DE  BOURBON,  CONNETABLE  OF 
FRANCE. 

COURTS  AND  CAMPS  OF  THE  ITALIAN  RE- 
NAISSANCE. 

THE  LIFE  OF  LOUIS  XL 

MARGUERITE  OF  AUSTRIA. 

A  QUEEN  OF  QUEENS,  AND  THE  ^^FAKING 
OF  SPAIN. 

THE  MOST  ILLUSTRIOUS  LADIES  OF  THE 
ITALIAN  RENAISSANCE. 

THE  STORY  OF  BAYARD. 

DANTE  THE  WAYFARER. 


A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

CHARLES  V,  1519-1558 


KV 

CHRISTOPHER  HARE 

AUTHOR  or 

'MAXIMILIAN    THE    DREAMKK,"     "  MAKGliKKITp:    OF   AUS'tP.I A  ' 

"men  and  women   of  the    ITALIAN   REFORMATION" 

"  LIFE  AND  LETTERS    IN  THE   ITALIAN    RK>JAI39A\CE  " 

ETC. 


With  a  photogravure  frontispiece  and  eight  other  illustrations 

in  half-tone 


NEW    YORK 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 

1917 


PKINTKD   IN  GREAT   BRITAIN 


M^NRY  MC.ISE  STBTh-rtCr^ 


•         •     •     • 

•      •       «     • 

•  •        •       . 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


Genealogical  Table  of  the  Immediate 
Ancestors  of  Charles  V  and  of  his 
Family xvii 

Introduction xix 


CHAPTER   I 

BIRTH  AND   PARENTAGE   OF   CHARLES   V 

Birth  of  Charles  V  at  Ghent — February  24,  1500 — Splendid  baptismal 
ceremony — Margaret  of  York,  widow  of  Charles  of  Burgundy, 
one  of  his  sponsors — His  father,  Philippe  of  Austria,  and  his  mother, 
Juana  of  Spain — Death  of  Queen  Isabel,  mother  of  Juana,  who 
with  her  husband  receives  homage  as  heirs  of  Castile — Death  of 
Philippe  in  Spain — Mental  affliction  of  Juana,  his  wife      pp.  1—13 

CHAPTER   II 

EARLY  LIFE  OF  CHARLES— HIS  EDUCATION  AT  MALINES 

Charles  proclaimed  Archduke  of  Austria  and  Prince  of  Spain,  1507 — 
He  is  placed  under  the  care  of  his  aunt.  Marguerite  of  Austria, 
Regent  of  the  Netherlands,  with  his  sisters  Eleonore,  Isabelle, 
and  Marie — The  story  of  his  childhood — He  is  educated  at  MaUnes 
with  a  view  to  his  great  inheritance,  and  is  present  at  Councils 
of  State  and  other  meetings  under  the  constant  direction  of  his 
grandfather  Maximilian — He  is  betrothed  first  to  Claude  of  France, 
then  to  Mary,  daughter  of  Henry  VII     .  ,  .     pp.   14-24 


<i): 


11.789 


vi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER    III 

WAR     WITH     GUELDERS — MARGUERITE     OF     AUSTRIA, 
REGENT    OF    THE    NETHERLANDS 

Marguerite  of  Austria,  Regent  of  the  Netherlands — Her  correspondence 
with  her  father,  the  Emperor  Maximilian — Incessant  war  with 
Guelders,  under  Duke  Charles  of  Egmond,  who  was  supported  by 
France — The  Regent's  urgent  need  of  men  and  money — Maxi- 
milian at  the  time  engaged  in  war  with  Venice,  in  seeking  to 
regain  Milan,  and  in  the  attempt  to  lead  a  crusade  against  the 
Turks — Details  of  the  war  with  Guelders  .         .     pp.  25-35 


CHAPTER    IV 

LEARNED    TUTORS    OF    CHARLES — HIS    AFFECTION    FOR 

HIS    SISTERS 

Youthful  training  and  education  of  Charles — His  affection  for  his 
sisters,  E16onore,  Isabelle,  and  Marie — His  tutors,  Louis  Vacca  and 
Adrian  of  Utrecht — Serious  scholastic  teaching — Influence  of  his 
governor,  Guillaurae  de  Croy,  Lord  of  Chi^vres — Marriage  alliances 
arranged  for  his  sisters — Charles  present  at  the  Council  of  Tournay 
— He  is  emancipated  at  the  age  of  fifteen  .         .     pp.  36-46 


CHAPTER    V 

FIRST    VISIT    OF    CHARLES    V    TO    SPAIN — HIS    MOTHER, 

JUANA 

Death  of  Ferdinand  of  Aragon,  February  23,  1516 — Charles  V  paj's 
his  first  visit  to  Spain,  1517 — His  eventful  voj'age — Death  of 
Cardinal  Ximenes — Charles  visits  his  mother.  Queen  Juana,  at 
Tordesillas — He  befriends  his  young  sister  Catalina — The  oath  of 
allegiance  is  taken  to  Charles  and  his  mother  in  Castile,  Aragon, 
and  Catalonia — Subsidies  are  voted  to  the  new  King — His  brother 
Ferdinand  is  sent  to  the  Netherlands — Charles  V  is  elected  "  King 
of  the  Romans  "  at  Frankfort — He  leavee  Spain  early  in  1520 

pp.  47-60 


CONTENTS  vii 

CHAPTER    VI 

CHARLES  V  IN  GERMANY — DIET  OF  WORMS 

Charles  V  travels  through  England  and  later  makes  a  treaty  with 
Henry  VIII  at  GraveUnes — His  coronation  at  Aix-la-Chapelle — 
Diet  of  Worms — Meeting  between  Charles  and  Luther — No  com- 
promise possible  between  the  Emperor  and  the  Reformer — 
Progress  of  the  Reformation  in  Germany — RebelMon  in  Spain — 
The  rebels  seize  Tordesillas  and  Queen  Juana — Charles  enUsts 
the  help  of  the  Spanish  nobles — Success  of  the  roj^al  cause  at  the 
battle  of  Villalar — War  with  Fran9ois  I — Death  of  Leo  X  and 
election  of  Pope  Adrian  VI    .         .         .         .         .     pp.  61-72 

CHAPTER    VII 

CHARLES  V  AND  HIS  COLONIES — CONQUEST  OF  MEXICO 

Charles  returns  to  Spain,  1522 — His  sympathy  with  Las  Casas,  the 
champion  and  "  Apostle  of  the  Indians  " — Review  of  the  colonies 
already  discovered  and  in  part  colonized  in  America — The  story 
of  the  conquest  of  Mexico,  told  by  Bemal  Diaz  and  others,  and 
in  the  letters  of  Cortes  to  the  Emperor — Invincible  courage  and 
perseverance  of  Cortes  and  his  companions  in  their  journey,  and 
in  their  desperate  attacks  on  the  Lake  City — Crowned  with 
success,  when  the  rich  empire  of  Montezuma  is  added  to  the 
crown  of  Castile    .......     pp.  73-89 

CHAPTER    VIII 

BATTLE    OF    PAVIA— CAPTIVITY    OF    FRANCOIS    I    AND 

TREATY  OF   MADRID 

Wise  rule  of  Charles  in  Spain — His  war  with  Fran9ois  I,  whose  injustice 
drives  Bourbon  to  take  up  arms  on  the  side  of  the  Emperor — His 
campaign  in  Provence  ;  compelled  to  retreat  from  lack  of  support 
— Bourbon  secures  the  help  of  Georg  von  Frundsberg  and  his 
landsknechte — Battle  of  Pavia,  where  the  King  of  France  is  taken 
prisoner — He  is  sent  to  Spain — Long  negotiations  end  with  the 
Treaty  of  Madrid,  1526,  by  which  Frangois  is  released — Marriage 
of  Charles  V  with  Isabel  of  Portugal      .         .         •     PP-  90-104 


viii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER   IX 

TREACHERY  OF  TRANCOIS  AND  THE  POPE — SACK  OF 
ROME — PEACE  OF  CAMBRAI 

Francois  I  repudiates  all  his  solemn  engagements  and  joins  the  League 
against  Charles  V — Vacillation  and  treachery  of  Pope  Clement 
VII — The  Colonna  Raid — Battle  of  Mohacs  ;  defeat  of  Louis  of 
Hungary  by  the  Turks  and  his  death — Frundsberg  and  hLs  German 
levies  invade  Italy — Bourbon  advances  against  Rome — Warning 
sent  to  the  Pope — Death  of  Bourbon — Sack  of  Rome — Turn  of 
the  tide  of  war — Imperial  success — Peace  of  Cambrai — Charles 
crowned  at  Bologna  by  Clement  VII    .         .         .     pp.  105-117 


CHAPTER    X 

DIET      OF      AUGSBURG— CAMPAIGN      OF      CHARLES      IN 

ALGIERS 

Diet  of  Augsburg,  June  1530 — The  Emperor's  efforts  for  conciliation 
between  Catholics  and  Reformers — Death  of  Marguerite  of 
Austria,  Regent  of  the  Netherlands — Her  niece  Marie  of  Hun- 
gary succeeds  to  her  duties — Ferdinand  elected  "King  of  the 
Romans  " — Charles  V  returns  to  Spain,  1533 — He  heads  the  cam 
paign  in  Algiers — Taking  of  Goletta  and  later  of  Tunis — The 
Emperor  hailed  as  the  "Saviour  of  Europe"        .     pp.   118-130 


CHAPTER   XI 

CHARLES  IN  ITALY — TREATY  OF  AIGUES-MORTES  WITH 

FRANCE 

Charles  V  visits  Sicily  and  Naples — Listens  to  the  preaching  of 
Ochino — The  Emperor  is  welcomed  in  his  city  of  Siena — Vain 
efforts  to  recover  Savoy  for  his  brother-in-law — Fran9ois  I  renews 
his  alhance  with  the  Turks — Charles  has  troubles  on  every  side — 
Cosimo  dei  Medici  becomes  Duke  of  Florence — Treaty  of  Aigues- 
Mortes  between  the  Emperor  and  the  King  of  France — Charles 
returns  to  Spain  ......     pp.  131-141 


CONTENTS  ix 

CHAPTER   XII 

THE    CONQUEST   OF  PERU 

How  Francisco  Pizarro  sought  his  fortune  in  the  Indies  with  Balboa 
and  Darien — He  starts  from  Panama  in  1522  with  Almagro,  in 
search  of  "  a  fabled  land  of  gold  and  silver  " — Indomitable  courage 
and  perseverance  of  Pizarro  ;  driven  back  by  misfortune  again 
and  again,  he  at  length  discovers  Peru,  the  land  of  his  dreams — 
He  goes  back  to  Spain  for  help  from  the  Crown,  with  specimens 
of  his  treasures,  and  in  1528  is  appointed  Governor  and  Captain- 
General  with  all  rights  of  discovery  and  conquest  in  the  land  of 
Peru — With  infinite  diflSculty  and  many  stirring  adventures, 
he  carries  this  out,  and  the  empire  of  Atahuallpa  is  added  to  the 
crown  of  Castile pp.   142-161 

CHAPTER   XIII 

CHARLES    RETURNS    TO    SPAIN — DEATH    OF    HIS    WIFE, 
ISABEL   OF   PORTUGAL 

The  Emperor  in  Spain — Difficulty  in  obtaining  supphes  from  the 
Cortes,  for  his  wars — Death  of  his  wife,  the  Empress  Isabel,  to  his 
lasting  grief,  1539 — He  receives  news  of  the  insurrection  of  Ghent — 
\^harles  travels  through  France,  on  his  way  to  the  Netherlands, 
against  the  advice  of  his  friends — Chronicle  of  his  journey — He  is 
met  at  Valenciennes  by  his  sister  Marie  of  Hungary,  the  Regent, 
and  his  niece  Christina — Later  life  of  her  father.  Christian  II 
of  Denmark       .......     pp.  162-172 

CHAPTER   XIV 

REBELLION  OF  GHENT — TROUBLES  IN  GERMANY 

The  rebelhon  of  the  men  of  Ghent — Their  treacherous  offer  to  Fran- 
9ois  I — They  yield  to  the  personal  authority  of  Charles  V,  who 
exacts  punishment  and  deprives  the  city  of  its  special  privileges 
— Fresh  trouble  with  the  new  Lord  of  Guelders — Powerful  Pro- 
testant League  of  Schmalkalden — Steady  progress  of  the  Refor- 
ma.tion  in  Germany — Revolt  of  Liibeck  and  Peace  of  Hamburg 

pp.  173-184 


X  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER   XV 

DIET  OF  RATISBON— SECOND  EXPEDITION  TO  ALGIERS 

Diet  of  Ratisbon  convoked  by  Charles  V,  "to  find  a  remedy  for 
religious  troubles  " — Contarini  sent  as  Legate,  by  special  request 
of  Charles — The  Emperor  passes  through  Italy  and  leads  the 
expedition  against  Algiers — Delay  of  the  fleets  in  starting  ;  violent 
storms  and  strong  resistance  of  the  Turks  result  in  defeat  of  the 
Spaniards — Courage  and  spu'it  of  Charles — The  Turks  raid  the 
Mediterranean  coast,  and  Christian  slaves  are  sold  at  Marseilles — 
Peace  of  Cr6py,  between  Spain  and  France,  1544        pp.  185-197 

CHAPTER    XVI 

RIVALRY  OF   CHARLES   V   AND   FRANCOIS   I 

The  rivah-y  between  the  Emperor  Charles  V  and  Francois  I,  King 
of  France — Brief  review  of  its  incidents,  tracing  the  origin  in  the 
hereditary  strife  between  Burgundy  and  France,  the  position 
of  the  two  realms,  and  various  alliances — The  two  sovereigns 
are   rivals    to    the    end — Study    of    their    diflferent    characters 

pp.  198-206 


CHAPTER    XVII 

DIET  OF  WORMS — WAR  OF  RELIGION 

Diet  of  Worms,  1545 — Open  rebellion  against  Charles  Vof  the  Lutheran 
princes — Protestant  League  takes  arms  against  the  Emperor — 
His  gallant  defence  of  Ingolstadt — He  wins  the  battle  of  Miihl- 
berg — John  Frederick  of  Saxony  and  Philip  of  Hesse  taken 
prisoners — Death  of  Henry  VIII,  followed  a  little  later  by  that 
of  Frangois  I — RebelUon  in  Hungary  after  the  death  of  Anne, 
the  wife  of  Ferdinand — Peace  in  Germanj'  for  a  time — High- 
water  mark  of  the  Emperor's  prosperity        .         .     pp.  207-217 


CONTENTS  xi 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

COUNCIL    OF   TRENT    MOVED    TO    BOLOGNA — STORY    OF 

SIENA 

Intrigues  of  Paul  III — His  attempt  to  install  the  Inquisition  in  Naples 
— Opposition  of  the  people,  who  are  supported  by  the  Emperor 
— Stormy  Council  of  Trent,  1546 — Paul  III  removes  the  Council 
to  Bologna — The  eventful  story  of  Siena — Contest  of  Spain  and 
France  for  possession  of  the  city — Final  siege  and  heroic  defence 
before  Siena  yielded  to  Duke  Cosimo  as  vassal  of  the  Emperor 

pp.  218-229 


CHAPTER    XIX 

THE    "  INTERIM  "   PROPOSED   AT   DIET   OF   AUGSBURG 

In  1547  Charles  V  at  the  height  of  his  power  and  success — The  "  In- 
terim "  suggested  as  a  raeans  of  conciliation  between  the  Pope 
and  the  Protestants — Alarm  in  Augsburg,  where  the  Diet  was 
sitting — War  of  Parma — Discord  between  Charles  and  Ferdinand 
concerning  the  succession  to  the  Empire — Suggestion  that  Philip 
should  succeed  his  uncle  Ferdinand     .         .         •     PP-  230-241 


CHAPTER    XX 

TREACHERY  OF  MAURICE  OF  SAXONY — FLIGHT  OF 

CHARLES  V 

Charles  dictates  his  Memoirs — Treachery  of  Maurice  of  Saxony — 
The  Emperor  driven  to  flight  from  Innsbriick  across  the  Brenner 
to  Carinthia — Treaty  of  Passau — Battle  of  Sievershausen — Death 
of  Maurice  of  Saxony — War  with  France — Death  of  Edward  VI, 
1553 — Charles  V  arranges  the  marriage  of  his  son  Philip  with  Mary 
of  England,  another  ambitious  Hapsburg  alliance        pp.  242-255 


xii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER   XXI 

DIET  OF  AUGSBURG — ABDICATION  OF  CHARLES  V 

Diet  of  Augsburg,  1555 — Inconclusive  and  unsatisfactory  religious 
peace — Death  of  Julius  III — Pope  Paul  IV  makes  a  League  with 
France — Fortune  of  war  with  Charles  V,  who  takes  Picardy  and 
makes  peace  with  Henri  II — Conquest  of  Guelders,  for  the 
Empire — Death  of  Queen  Juana — Charles  goes  through  a  solemn 
abdication  of  the  Netherlands  on  behalf  of  his  son,  October  1555 
— He  also  resigns  the  Grandmastership  of  the  Order  of  the  Golden 
Fleece,  and  later  of  Santiago,  Calatrava,  and  Alcantara,  to  Philip 

pp.  956-268 

CHAPTER    XXII 

THE  LAST  JOURNEY  OF  CHARLES  V 

Last  days  of  the  Emperor  in  Brussels — He  takes  leave  of  his  daughter 
Mary  and  her  husband  Maximilian — He  selects  his  suite  for  Yuste 
Luis  de  Quijada,  Guillaume  Van  Male,  Doctor  Mathys,  and  others 
— His  final  parting  with  his  son  Philip  at  Ghent — Charles  takes 
his  last  journey  to  Spain,  where  his  sisters  Eleonore  and  Marie 
follow  him — He  visits  his  daughter  Juana  at  Valladolid  and 
travels  on  to  Jarandilla  in  the  Valley  of  Plasencia,  where  he 
spends  the  winter    ......         pp.  269-280 


CHAPTER    XXIII 

CHARLES   V   AT   YUSTE 

Charles  enters  his  last  home  at  Yuste,  adjoining  the  Monastery,  on  a 
slope  of  the  Estremadura — His  garden,  his  love  of  birds  and 
flowers — His  pictures  by  Titian,  his  maps,  library,  and  mechanical 
pursuits — Constant  news  arrive  from  the  outside  world — The  keen 
interest  of  Charles  in  the  wars  of  Italj',  Flanders,  and  the  coast 
of  the  Mediterranean — Visits  of  hia  sisters  Eleonore  and  Marie — 
Don  John  of  Austria,  a  mysterious  child        .         .     pp.  281-292 


CONTENTS  xiii 


CHAPTEK    XXIV 

LAST    DAYS    OF    CHAELES    V — HIS    DEATH 

Charles  takes  leave  of  his  sister  Eleonore,  who  travels  to  meet  her 
only  daughter,  Maria  of  Portugal — Death  of  Eleonore — Charles 
resigns  the  Empire,  to  which  his  brother  Ferdinand  is  elected — 
Failing  health  of  Charles,  and  disturbing  war  news — Fray  Borja 
and  other  religious  friends  visit  him — Last  days  of  Charles  V — His 
death — Deeply  mourned  and  lamented  by  his  family,  his  friends, 
and  attendants — A  brief  estimate  of  his  character    .     pp.  293-305 


CHAPTER    XXV 

SOURCES  or  INFORMATION  CONCERNING   CHARLES  V 

Various  sources  of  information  for  the  History  of  Charles  V — Official 
Historiographers  of  his  life  reviewed — Valuable  and  interesting 
work  of  Sepulveda  and  Paolo  Giovio — A  mine  of  information 
in  "  diplomatic  sources  "  ;  letters  of  ambassadors  from  every 
Court  of  Europe  and  directions  to  them,  from  Spanish,  German, 
and  other  ministers  of  Charles — An  immense  collection  of  letters 
written  by  or  to  the  Emperor,  and  all  his  family,  his  ministers, 
etc.,  found  in  all  the  public  archives  of  Europe — Most  valuable 
are  the  private  "Memoirs  "  of  Charles  V,  translated  by  the  learned 
Professor,  Morel  Fatio — Allusion  to  other  historians  pp.  300-31 8 

Chronology    of    Events    in    the    Life    of 

Charles  V         ....       pp.  3i9-32s 

Index pp.  325-332 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

Emperor  Charles  V  .         Photogravure  frontispiece 

PACINQ  PAGE 

ISABELLE  DE  BOURGOGNE,   SiSTER  OF  ChARLES  V    .  48 

By  Jan  Ckissaert  (Mabase).    By  permission  of  Mons.  C.  L.  Garden. 

Empress  Isabel,  Wife  of  Charles  V        .         .96 

By  Titian.    Anderson  photo. 

Pope  Clement  VII  and  Francois  I  .         .         .112 

Panel  by  Vasari.    Brogi  photo. 

Emperor  Charles  V  .         .         .         .         .128 

By  Titian. 

Marguerite  of  Austria    .         .         .         .         .160 
Francois  I         ......         .     208 

By  Titian. 

Eleonore  of  Austrla.,  Sister  of  Charles  V     .     256 

Mus^e  Condi,  Chantilly. 

-nI'ON  John  of  Austria       .....     288 

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1 

d 

■^ 

O  lO 

ft- 


XTll 


( 


INTBODUCTION 

In  my  various  historical  books  on  the  later  Renais- 
sance period,  the  striking  figure  of  Charles  V  has  con- 
stantly come  to  the  front.  His  character  has  ever 
been  at  once  so  elusive  and  so  attractive  a  study, 
that  I  have  at  length  ventured  upon  the  difficult 
task  of  attempting  to  condense  into  one  volume 
the  personal  and  political  history  of  the  last  great 
Emperor  of  the  Hapsburg  Hne.  His  hfe  will  form  a 
natural  sequence  to  that  of  his  predecessor  and 
grandfather  Maximilian. 

This  work  was  begun  long  before  the  great  war  of 
1914,  which  has  revived  such  keen  and  widespread 
interest  in  the  Hapsburg  dynasty,  and  also  in  the 
early  history  of  the  Netherlands,  now  once  more  the 
battle-field  of  Europe. 


XIX 


>     ) 


A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

CHAPTER   I 

BIRTH  AND   PARENTAGE   OF  CHARLES   V 

Birth  of  Charles  V  at  Ghent — February  24,  1500 — Splendid  baptismal 
ceremony — Margaret  of  York,  widow  of  Charles  of  Burgundy,  one 
of  hia  sponsors — His  father,  PhiUppe  of  Austria,  and  his  mother 
Juana  of  Spain — They  travel  through  France  to  Spain — Death 
of  Queen  Isabel,  mother  of  Juana,  who  receives  homage  as  heiress 
of  Castile — Death  of  Philippe  in  Spain — Mental  affiiction  of 
Juana. 

On  the  Feast  of  St.  Matthias,  February  24,  of  the 
year  1500,  there  was  born,  in  the  old  palace  of  Ghent, 
a  child  who  was  destined  to  raise  the  Hapsburg 
power  to  its  highest  point. 

Charles  V  was  the  grandson  of  the  Emperor  Maxi- 
milian and  Marie  of  Burgundy,  the  heiress  of  Duke 
Charles  the  Bold's  broad  lands  in  Burgundy,  the 
Netherlands,  and  elsewhere.  To  all  these  he  was  in 
the  direct  line  of  succession,  besides  the  Hapsburg 
dominions,  while  other  and  richer  kingdoms  would 
be  his  in  due  time  by  the  strange  vicissitudes  of 
fortune.  His  father,  Philippe,  Archduke  of  Austria, 
with  the  usual  worldly  wisdom  and  good  fortune  of 
the  Hapsburgs,  had  married  Juana,  the  second 
daughter  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabel  of  Spain,  and  at 
1 


'•'••  •••■•'•2*: '...:/•'-     'A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

the  time  of  her  son's  birth  only  one  frail  infant's 
life  was  between  her  and  the  crowns  of  Castile  and 
the  Aragon,  with  the  uncharted  discoveries  and 
possessions  of  the  New  World. 

Juana's  only  brother,  the  young  Prince  Juan,  the 
heir  of  Spain,  had  passed  away  only  three  years 
before,  in  1497,  and  her  eldest  sister,  Isabel,  Queen 
of  Portugal,  died  a  year  later,  after  giving  birth  to 
a  son,  Miguel,  the  looked-for  inheritor  of  the  whole 
Iberian  continent.  But  his  death  in  July  1500 
passed  on  his  mother's  inheritance  to  his  infant 
cousin  Charles. 

All  had  thus  conspired  to  make  this  the  crowning 
success  of  Maximilian's  diplomacy.  He  had  formed 
a  double  alliance  with  Spain,  by  the  marriage  of 
Philippe  with  Juana,  and  of  his  only  daughter  Mar- 
guerite with  Prince  Juan.  This  devoted  princess 
had  already  been  betrothed  to  Charles  VIII  of 
France  from  her  childhood ;  she  had  been  educated 
in  that  country,  and  had  endured  the  humiliation  of 
being  sent  home,  while  the  young  King  married 
Anne  de  Bretagne,  already  the  promised  bride  of 
the  Emperor  Maximilian,  who  never  forgave  the 
Valois  prince  for  thus  robbing  him  of  his  bride  and 
repudiating  his  daughter.  But  hatred  had  to  give 
way  to  policy,  and  the  Emperor  found  himself  unable 
at  that  time  to  set  Europe  in  a  blaze  by  war  with 
France;  but  he  strengthened  his  position  by  firm 
alliance  with  Spain. 

It  was  on  August  22,  1496,  that  Queen  Isabel  took 
leave  of  her  daughter  Juana  at  the  port  of  Lareda, 
from  whence  this  young  princess  set  sail  under  the 


BIRTH    AND    PARENTAGE    OF    CHARLES    3 

protection  of  an  armed  fleet  of  130  ships.  She  had 
a  very  stormy  voyage,  and  the  fleet  was  driven  for 
shelter  into  the  harbour  of  Portland,  where  it  was 
discovered  that  several  caravels  were  missing.  When 
at  length  she  reached  the  coast  of  Flanders  on  Sunday, 
September  18,  the  laggard  bridegroom  was  not  there 
to  receive  her,  and  she  was  lodged  in  the  convent  of 
St.  Michel  at  Antwerp  until  the  welcome  arrival  of 
the  Princess  Marguerite  and  Madame  la  Grande,  as 
the  spirited  old  lady  Margaret  of  York,  third  wife 
of  Duke  Charles  of  Burgundy,  was  called.  Mean- 
time the  Spanish  fleet  and  the  Spanish  ladies  in 
attendance  were  to  wait  until  they  could  take  back 
Marguerite,  the  promised  bride  of  Prince  Juan.  One 
practical  advantage  of  this  exchange  of  princesses 
was  that  no  dowry  was  required  on  either  side. 

It  was  not  until  October  18  that  at  last  the  wedding 
of  the  Archduke  Phihppe  and  Juana  took  place  at 
Lille,  and  soon  afterwards  they  settled  in  their  palace 
at  Brussels.  It  was  an  ill-omened  marriage  from  the 
first  between  the  handsome,  self-willed,  and  dissi- 
pated young  man  of  nineteen  and  the  unattractive 
Spanish  girl  of  seventeen,  who  from  her  childhood 
had  been  of  an  uncertain,  sullen  temper.  She  had 
been  well  educated,  but  we  are  told  that  "  her  early 
life  had  been  one  course  of  rebelhon,"  while  the 
rigid  Castilian  pride  which  she  inherited  may  have 
had  some  part  in  her  future  unhappiness,  as  in  that 
of  her  next  sister,  whom  we  know  as  Katharine  of 
Aragon,  the  ill-fated  wife  of  Henry  VIII. 

Unfortunately  for  her  peace  of  mind,  PhiHppe's 
young  wife  loved  him  with  passionate  devotion,  only 


4  A  GEEAT  EMPEROR 

equalled  by  the  jealousy  for  which  he  gave  her  good 
cause,  in  that  gay  Court  of  Brussels.  However,  for 
a  time,  outward  appearances  were  kept  up,  and  on 
November  16,  1498,  a  daughter  was  born,  who 
received  the  name  of  Eleonore,  in  memory  of  the 
mother  of  Maximilian.  There  were  great  festivities 
on  this  occasion,  but  they  were  quite  echpsed  by 
those  which  took  place  fifteen  months  later,  when,  as 
we  have  already  seen,  the  hoped-for  son  and  heir 
was  born  on  February  24  of  the  year  1500.  This 
was  the  feast  of  St.  Matthias,  and  his  grandmother 
Queen  Isabel  remarked,  "  Sors  cecidit  super  Mat- 
thiam,"  and  she  always  believed  that  Charles  would 
inherit  Spain.  His  baptism  was  a  magnificent  cere- 
mony, in  which  the  whole  city  showed  the  greatest 
enthusiasm,  of  which  the  old  chroniclers  give  us  the 
fullest  details. 

Margaret  of  York  held  him  at  the  font  when  he 
received  the  name  of  her  husband,  the  great  Duke 
of  Burgundy  ;  all  the  titles  of  the  infant  prince  were 
proclaimed  aloud  by  heralds,  but  it  was  decided  that 
he  was  to  be  called  Duke  of  Luxemburg.  Perhaps 
the  most  interesting  of  the  royal  personages  present 
was  the  widowed  Princess  Marguerite,  his  aunt,  who 
had  just  returned  from  Spain,  where  she  had  received 
the  greatest  kindness  and  affection.  Her  lifelong 
devotion  to  the  interests  of  her  nephew  Charles  was 
destined  to  prove  of  the  highest  value  to  him,  and 
to  the  Netherlands.  Her  story  has  been  already 
fully  told  elsewhere,^  and  will  only  be  touched  upon 
in  so  far  as  needful  for  the  present  history. 
*  *•  Marguerite  of  Austria,"  by  Christopher  Hare. 


BIRTH    AND    PARENTAGE    OF    CHARLES    5 

On  July  20,  1500,  the  death  of  Don  Miguel,  the 
orphan  prince  of  Portugal,  made  his  Aunt  Juana 
heiress  of  Castile  and  Aragon.  The  Cathohc  sovereigns, 
Ferdinand  and  Isabel,  at  once  sent  the  news  to 
Flanders,  with  an  urgent  request  that  Phihppe  and 
his  wife  should  come  to  Spain  in  order  to  receive 
homage  from  their  future  subjects.  But  the  Arch- 
duke had  other  engagements  more  attractive  at  the 
time,  and  the  journey  was  put  oS  until  the  following 
year.  Meantime,  Juana's  two  younger  sisters  were 
married ;  Maria  to  Emanuel,  King  of  Portugal,  and 
Katharine  to  the  young  Prince  Arthur  of  England, 
to  whom  she  had  been  betrothed  from  her  childhood. 
These  early  engagements  were  the  usual  plans  of 
diplomacy,  and  we  find  that  the  baby  Charles  was 
promised  in  marriage  to  Claude,  daughter  of  Louis  XII, 
by  the  Treaty  of  Trent,  October  1501.  This  was  the 
first  of  the  young  heir's  various  matrimonial  engage- 
ments. 

A  second  daughter,  Isabelle,  was  born  to  Juana 
on  July  27  of  this  year,  and  it  was  not  until  Sep- 
tember 15  that  she  and  her  husband  at  last  started 
for  Spain.  At  this  time  there  was  peace  with  France, 
and  after  travelhng  through  Brabant  and  Hainault, 
resting  at  Mons  and  Cambray,  they  crossed  the 
frontier  near  St.  Quentin,  where  they  had  a  warm 
reception.  Passing  on  through  Compi^gne  and  its 
great  forests,  they  were  welcomed  by  the  Abbot  at 
St.  Denis,  and  entered  Paris  in  state  on  November  25. 
There  were  great  entertainments  prepared  for  the 
royal  visitors  when  they  reached  the  Court  at  Blois ; 
and  the  French  King  himself  accompanied  them  on 


6  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

their  way  south  as  far  as  Amboise,  from  whence  they 
continued  their  journey  to  Navarre,  travelhng  to 
Bayonne  through  heavy  snow-storms.  Here  their 
baggage  had  to  be  placed  on  mules  to  cross  the 
Pyrenees  in  deep  snow,  until  they  reached  Vittoria 
and  passed  on  into  Castile.  They  rested  eleven  days 
at  Burgos,  from  whence  they  went  on  to  Valladohd, 
Medina  del  Campo,  and  Segovia,  everywhere  receiving 
a  hearty  welcome.  They  did  not  reach  Madrid  until 
March  25,  six  months  after  the  departure  from 
Ghent,  a  long  and  tedious  journey  in  truth. 

An  illness  of  the  Archduke  Phihppe  caused  further 
delay,  and  only  on  May  7  did  Juana  and  her  husband 
meet  the  Spanish  sovereigns  at  Toledo.  Great  fes- 
tivities had  been  arranged  in  their  honour,  but  all  was 
turned  into  mourning  by  the  news  of  the  death  of 
Arthur,  Prince  of  Wales,  the  boy-husband  of  Juana 's 
youngest  sister  Katherine.  As  soon  as  possible  after 
the  arrival  of  the  new  Prince  of  Castile,  the  Cortes 
were  convoked  at  Toledo  to  take  the  oaths  of  alle- 
giance ;  but  these  proceedings  naturally  took  some 
time,  and  Phihppe  found  the  etiquette  of  the  Spanish 
Court  so  dull  and  tedious  that  he  and  his  Flemish 
courtiers  sought  amusements  which  met  with  serious 
disapproval.  When  he  set  out  for  Aragon  with  his 
wife  in  August,  we  find  him  writing  to  a  friend : 
"  Thank  God  I  have  left  Toledo,  and  am  on  my  way 
to  Zaragoza,  where  we  hope  to  be  admitted  to  the 
sovereignty  of  Aragon  and  its  lands.  That  done,  we 
will  make  all  haste  to  get  our  conge  to  return  from 
thence  to  Flanders." 

After  a  triumphal  journey  across  northern  Spain, 


BIKTH   AND    PARENTAGE    OF    CHARLES    7 

they  reached  Zaragoza,  where  for  the  first  time  in 
the  history  of  Aragon  the  Cortes  swore  allegiance 
to  a  future  "  Queen  proprietor  "  and  to  Phihppe  as 
her  husband,  homage  being  paid  to  them  before  the 
steps  of  the  high  altar  in  the  cathedral.  This  cere- 
mony was  scarcely  accompHshed  before  the  Archduke 
announced  his  intention  of  returning  home  at  once 
through  France,  although  Spain  was  now  at  war 
with  that  country.  Ferdinand  was  strongly  opposed 
to  this  step,  but  he  was  at  length  persuaded  to  allow 
his  son-in-law  to  enter  into  negotiations  for  peace 
with  Louis  XII,  although  with  the  strictest  instruc- 
tions and  very  limited  powers.  Juana  was  in  dehcate 
health  at  the  time,  and  he  was  quite  wilhng  to  leave 
her  behind,  although  she  was  in  despair  at  his  depar- 
ture. He  did  not  attempt  to  hide  his  cold  indifference 
to  her  entreaties,  and  lost  no  time  in  setting  forth 
on  his  journey,  which  at  least  promised  him  change 
and  excitement. 

He  was  received  by  Louis  XII  at  his  splendid 
Court  of  Lyons  with  crafty  friendship,  and  was 
readily  persuaded  to  sign  a  treaty  by  which,  amongst 
other  concessions,  he  agreed  that  "  all  places  unlaw- 
fully taken  in  the  kingdom  of  Naples  were  to  be  given 
up  to  the  French.'"  We  do  not  wonder  that  these 
terms  were  at  once  repudiated  by  King  Ferdinand, 
and  that  the  Great  Captain  Gonzalvo  continued  his 
conquests  in  utter  disregard  of  them.  On  his  way 
home  Philippe  passed  through  Savoy  and  met  his 
sister  Marguerite,  who,  in  accordance  with  her  father's 
pohtical  aims,  had  once  more  consented  to  serve  the 
interests   of   the   House   of  Hapsburg   by   another 


I 


8  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

marriage.  The  young  Duke,  Philibert  le  Beau,  ap- 
pears to  have  been  an  ideal  husband,  and  it  seemed 
as  if  the  happiness  so  long  denied  to  her  was  at  last 
the  portion  of  the  Flemish  princess.  But  it  was  of 
short  duration,  for  within  the  space  of  three  brief 
years  the  unfortunate  Marguerite  was  once  more  a 
widow. 

Meantime  Juana  remained  with  her  mother  in  a 
condition  of  gloom  and  depression,  varied  by  petu- 
lant outbreaks  of  temper.  In  March  1503,  at  the 
old  palace  of  Alcala  de  Henares,  her  second  son  was 
born,  called  Ferdinand  after  his  grandfather.  After 
this  she  set  her  heart  upon  returning  to  her  husband, 
and  we  are  told  that  "  she  raged  hke  a  lioness  at  being 
kept  in  Spain.''  But  she  was  quite  unfit  for  the  long, 
wearisome  journey,  and  already  the  dark  shadow  of 
mental  disease  was  upon  her.  We  have  a  curious 
letter  written  in  June  of  this  year,  and  signed  by  three 
doctors,  describing  her  condition :  *'  The  Infanta  is 
very  weak  and  depressed ;  she  sleeps  badly,  and  is 
not  to  be  moved  by  persuasion,  prayer,  or  fear.'* 

Queen  Isabel,  who  was  in  failing  health,  was  greatly 
distressed  about  her  daughter,  who,  having  moved 
with  the  Court  to  Medina  del  Campo,  insisted  upon 
saihng  without  the  permission  of  her  parents.  The 
Bishop  of  Cordova  was  asked  to  deter  her  from 
leaving  *'  as  gently  and  graciously  as  possible,"  but 
in  the  end  Juana  was  only  restrained  by  force.  She 
had  taken  advantage  of  her  mother's  absence  at 
Segovia  to  escape  from  her  apartments  in  the  castle, 
one  wild  November  evening,  and  hurry  half- dressed 
to  the  city  gate.    It  was  closed  against  her,  but  she 


BIETH    AND    PARENTAGE    OF    CHARLES    9 

commanded  the  guard  to  open  the  gate  to  which 
she  clung  in  frenzied  despair.  Admiral  Henriquez 
and  the  Archbishop  of  Toledo  could  only  succeed  in 
persuading  the  princess  to  take  shelter  close  by  for 
the  night,  and  the  morning  found  her  crouching  by 
the  closed  gates.  At  last  the  Queen  herself  arrived, 
and  with  much  difficulty  persuaded  her  unhappy 
daughter  to  go  back  with  her  to  the  castle.  Isabel 
herself  never  recovered  from  the  terrible  shock,  and 
from  this  time  her  health  rapidly  failed. 

It  proved  impossible  to  detain  the  Archduchess 
later  than  the  spring  of  1504,  when  she  embarked 
for  Flanders,  much  improved  in  spirits  at  the  pros- 
pect of  rejoining  her  husband.  After  a  favourable 
voyage  she  was  received  by  Philippe  at  Ghent,  and 
all  promised  well  for  a  time  until,  in  an  ungovernable 
fit  of  jealousy,  she  actually  assaulted  a  lady  of  the 
Court  to  whom  he  was  paying  attentions,  and  caused 
her  rival's  beautiful  hair  to  be  cut  off.  This  outrage, 
which  nothing  could  excuse,  roused  the  Archduke  to 
fury  ;  he  used  the  most  violent  language  to  his  wife, 
and  swore  that  he  would  have  no  more  to  do  with  her. 

When  news  of  this  deplorable  incident  reached 
Castile  in  June,  the  shock  was  too  much  for  Queen 
Isabel  in  her  frail  condition ;  the  tender  heart  of 
the  brave  woman  broke  down  beneath  overwhelming 
grief  and  shame  for  her  afHicted  daughter,  and  from 
that  time  there  was  no  hope  of  her  recovery.  Her 
later  years  had  been  one  long  tale  of  bereavement 
and  sorrow,  and  the  great  Queen  who  had  always 
responded  to  every  claim,  and  never  spared  herself 
in  the  service  of  her  country,  passed  away  a  few  months 


10  A  GREAT  EIMPEROR 

later,  November  25,  1504,  to  the  infinite  loss  and 
sorrow  of  her  people.  We  cannot  allude  to  the  fine 
character  of  the  great  Queen  without  noticing  how 
some  of  her  noble  qualities  were  inherited  by  her 
grandson  Charles  V.  In  him  we  shall  watch  the 
development  of  the  unshaken  love  of  justice,  the  high 
ideal  of  truth,  the  tenacity  of  purpose,  the  love  of 
peace  and  the  passionate  zeal  for  religion  which  were 
60  characteristic  of  the  beloved  Queen. 

Juana  was  now  sovereign  of  Castile,  and  was 
nominally  proclaimed  in  the  great  square  of  Toledo 
while  the  royal  standard  was  raised  by  the  Duke  of 
Alva,  with  much  pomp  of  heralds  and  blare  of 
trumpets.  But  the  astute  Ferdinand  kept  the  govern- 
ing power  as  regent  in  his  own  hands,  and  required 
the  oaths  of  allegiance  to  be  taken  to  him.  Phihppe, 
however,  lost  no  time  in  asserting  his  right  to  his 
wife's  inheritance,  and  sent  an  imperious  message  to 
the  King  to  retire  at  once  to  Aragon,  and  resign 
the  govermnent  of  Castile  to  such  persons  as  he  should 
appoint  until  his  coming.  At  the  same  time  many 
of  the  Castihan  nobles,  and  amongst  them  Don  Juan 
Manuel,  Spanish  Ambassador  to  the  Emperor  Maxi- 
milian, entered  into  secret  intrigues  wth  the  Arch- 
duke, and  his  cause  was  so  warmly  supported  that 
Ferdinand  swore  to  avenge  himself. 

He  first  tried  to  marry  Juana,  the  supposed 
daughter  of  Henry  IV,  on  whose  illegitimacy  Queen 
Isabel's  right  to  the  throne  of  Castile  was  founded ; 
but,  faihng  in  this,  he  married  Germaine  de  Foix,  a 
niece  of  Louis  XII  of  France,  in  March  1506.  This 
want  of  respect  for  the  memory  of   his  noble  wife 


BIRTH  AND   PAKENTAGE   OF   CHARLES    11 

created  much  estrangement  in  Castile,  and  as  soon 
as  Philippe  heard  of  this  proposed  arrangeme^t  he 
set  forth  with  Juana  on  his  long-deferred  journey  by 
way  of  France,  but  he  was  delayed  on  the  way  by 
stormy  weather,  which  drove  him  on  the  Enghsh 
coast  and  into  the  power  of  Henry  VII,  so  that  he 
did  not  reach  Spain  until  a  month  after  the  ill- 
advised  wedding. 

After  much  weary  discussion,  a  treaty  was  con- 
cluded, by  which  it  was  settled  that  the  government 
of  Castile  should  be  carried  on  in  the  joint  names  of 
Juana,  Ferdinand,  and  Phihppe,  while  the  revenues 
of  the  crown  and  the  right  of  conferring  offices  should 
be  equally  shared  by  the  father  and  husband  of  the 
real  Queen.  But  soon  the  Castilian  nobles  declared 
openly  in  favour  of  the  young  Archduke,  and  Fer- 
dinand was  compelled  to  resign  the  regency  before 
he  set  off  for  Naples  in  great  state  with  his  young 
wife. 

Meantime  Philippe  could  not  induce  the  Cortes  to 
pronounce  Juana  incapable  of  reigning,  and  the  oaths 
of  allegiance  were  taken  to  her  and  to  her  son  Charles 
as  her  successor,  at  Valladolid ;  but  her  husband 
practically  assumed  absolute  power,  turning  out  the 
loyal  friends  of  the  late  Queen  from  offices  of  State 
which  he  gave  to  his  own  Flemish  followers.  He  also 
gave  ofience  to  many  by  his  opposition  to  the  Inquisi- 
tion, and  a  conspiracy  was  forming  against  him 
when  he  was  suddenly  taken  seriously  ill  after  over- 
exertion in  his  favourite  Jeu  de  Paume.  He  suffered 
from  fever,  but  his  Flemish  physician  was  not  alarmed 
until  dangerous  symptoms  appeared,  and  on  Sep- 


12  A  GREAT  EMPEROR  ^ 

tember  25,  1506,  the  young  Archduke  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty-eight.  As  usual  in  such  cases, 
poison  was  suspected,  but  of  this  there  is  no  rehable 
evidence. 

To  Juana  the  shock  was  overwhelming,  and  after 
the  death  of  the  young  husband  whom  she  loved 
with  such  passionate  affection,  there  could  be  no 
doubt  of  her  mental  affliction.  She  insisted  upon 
keeping  the  body  in  her  own  room,  laid  out  in  state, 
splendidly  dressed  ;  she  sat  for  hours  watching  over 
him  in  dead  silence  without  shedding  a  tear ;  she 
would  hsten  to  no  entreaties,  and  obstinately  refused 
to  sign  any  papers  or  to  appoint  a  regent  for  the 
kingdom  of  Castile.  On  All  Saints'  Day  there  was 
a  solemn  funeral  ceremony  at  the  Monastery  of 
Miraflores,  after  which  the  widowed  princess  set  forth 
with  the  coffin  in  sad  procession  towards  Granada, 
only  travelling  by  night,  and  causing  services  for  the 
dead  to  be  performed  at  every  church  and  monastery 
by  the  way  ;  this  was  in  the  middle  of  winter,  when 
she  herself  was  in  dehcate  health.  On  January  14, 
1507,  there  was  born  to  her  at  Torquemada,  a 
daughter  who  was  named  Catahna,  after  her  favourite 
sister.  The  story  of  this  young  life,  overshadowed 
by  her  mother's  sad  fate,  is  most  pathetic. 

It  was  not  until  July  of  this  year  that  Ferdinand 
at  length  returned  to  Spain,  and  was  universally 
accepted  as  Regent  of  Castile,  where  all  was  tranquil 
through  the  wise  government  of  Ximenes,  Arch- 
bishop of  Toledo.  This  warhke  prelate  had  also  led 
an  army,  at  his  own  expense,  against  the  Moors,  and 
annexed  Barbary,  Oran,  and  other  places  on  the 


BIRTH  AND  PARENTAGE   OF  CHARLES    13 

coast,  to  the  crown  of  Castile.  By  cunning  and 
treachery,  the  King  of  Aragon  had  moreover  taken 
possession  of  Navarre.  Thus  was  growing,  on  every 
side,  the  immense  realm  of  the  young  heir,  the 
future  Emperor  Charles  V. 


CHAPTER   II 

EAELY  LIFE  OF  CHARLES— HIS  EDUCATION  AT  MALINES 

Charles  proclaimed  Archduke  of  Austria  and  Prince  of  Spain,  1507 — 
He  is  placed  under  the  care  of  his  aunt,  Marguerite  of  Austria, 
Regent  of  the  Netherlands,  with  his  sisters  Eleonore,  Isabella 
and  Marie — The  story  of  his  childhood — He  is  educated  at  Malinea 
with  a  view  to  his  great  inheritance,  and  is  present  at  Councils 
of  State  and  other  meetings  under  the  constant  direction  of  his 
grandfather  Maximihan — He  is  betrothed  first  to  Claude  of  France, 
then  to  Mary,  daughter  of  Henry  VII. 

To  the  Emperor  Maximilian,  the  death  of  his  only 
son,  on  whom  all  his  hopes  were  fixed,  was  a  terrible 
blow.  It  is  true  that  their  political  views  had  been 
sometimes  at  variance,  but  in  the  complex  charac- 
ter of  Phihppe  there  was  a  strong  foundation  of 
patriotism.  Thus  when  his  hereditary  dominions 
were  endangered  by  the  French  King's  assistance  to 
Charles  of  Guelders,  we  find  the  Archduke  writing : 

"...  If  the  treaty  with  me  has  been  broken,  be 
assured  that  I  have  not  a  heart  so  cowardly,  nor  are 
my  kindred  and  possessions  in  this  world  of  such 
small  account,  but  I  would  sacrifice  them  and  my 
life  also,  ere  I  suller  such  an  outrage  to  my  rights  .  .  . 
and  I  protest  here  before  God  that  if,  against  my 
will,  I  have  to  make  war  against  the  King  of  France, 

14 


-\ 


EARLY  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  15 

on  his  conscience  will  rest  all  the  evils  ensuing  to 
Christendom. 


99 

•      •      • 


This  turbulent  Charles  of  Guelders  was  destined  to 
cause  much  trouble  for  many  years  to  the  ruler  of  the 
Netherlands,  a  position  in  which  Maximihan's  daughter 
Marguerite  greatly  distinguished  herself,  during  the 
minority  of  her  nephew.  After  barely  three  years  of 
happy  married  life,  the  young  Duchess  of  Savoy  had 
returned  home,  in  desolate  widowhood,  on  the  death 
of  her  beloved  husband  Phihbert  II,  to  whose  memory 
she  was  building,  in  the  church  of  Brou,  a  shrine  more 
beautiful  than  the  world  had  ever  seen.  With  the 
gallant  courage  and  self-sacrifice  which  never  failed 
her,  Marguerite  had  obeyed  her  father's  summons  to 
take  up  the  burden  of  empire  as  Regent  of  the  Nether- 
lands for  her  nephew  Charles,  who,  with  his  three 
sisters,  was  now  entrusted  to  her  care. 

On  Sunday,  July  18,  1507,  a  solemn  funeral  service 
was  held  at  Mahnes  in  the  church  of  St.  Rombault, 
to  the  memory  of  the  Archduke  Phihppe.  The 
picturesque  scene  rises  vividly  before  us,  as  the  stately 
processions  wind  through  the  ancient  city.  We  see 
all  the  guilds  of  Mahnes  in  state  costume,  the  priests, 
the  friars,  the  deputies  of  the  States,  the  soldiers, 
and  the  loyal  populace  ;  with  banners  and  crosses 
and  hghted  torches  held  on  high.  These  prepare  the 
way  for  the  magnificent  company  of  the  ambassadors, 
the  bishops,  the  great  nobles  and  the  princes — 
escorted  by  gorgeous  heralds  on  war-horses,  with  the 

1  Letter   to  Cardinal  Georges  d'Amboise,  written  at  Valladolid, 
July  24,  1606. 


16  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

emblazoned  banners  of  every  province  and  subject 
State,  passing  onward  to  the  blare  of  trumpets  and 
beating  of  drums.  Within  the  crowded  church  of 
St.  Rombault  the  central  figure  was  a  boy  of  seven, 
Charles,  the  heir  of  his  father's  many  lands,  who  sat 
in  the  dim  choir,  facing  the  altar,  in  the  place  of 
honour.  At  the  close  of  the  High  Mass,  when  the 
Bishop  of  Arras  spoke  the  words  :  "  Et  Verbum  caro 
factum  est,''  all  the  heralds  cast  down  their  great 
banners  on  the  marble  floor  before  the  altar.  Then 
King-at-arms  of  the  Golden  Fleece  threw  down  his 
stafi  of  office  and  cried  aloud  three  times,  "  Le  Roy 
est  mort !  " 

After  a  pause  of  breathless  silence,  he  raised  it 
once  more  on  high,  crying  aloud :  "  Vive  Don  Charles 
par  la  grace  Dieu  archiduc  dAutriche,  prince  des 
Espagnes.  ..."  Then,  one  by  one,  the  heralds  raised 
their  prostrate  banners,  waving  them  aloft  and  pro- 
claiming, each  in  turn  the  long  roll  of  honours : 
"  Prince  de  Bourgogne,  de  Lostrick,  de  Brabant.  .  .  . 
Comte  de  Flandres,  d'Arthorys,  .  .  .  Palatin  d'Hay- 
nault,  de  HoUande,  de  Zelande,  de  Namur,  et  de 
Zutphen  .  .  .  Marquis  du  Sainct-Empire,  Seigneur  de 
Frise,  de  Sahns  et  de  Mahnes  !  "  ^  The  cap  of  mourn- 
ing was  now  taken  from  the  head  of  Charles,  and 
Toison  d'Or  took  the  shining  sword  from  the  altar, 
where  it  had  been  blessed  by  the  Bishop,  and,  holding 
it  up  before  the  young  prince,  spoke  thus  solemnly  : 
"  Imperial  and  Royal  Prince,  this  sword  is  given  you 
from  God  and  from  your  noble  ancestors,  that  you  may 

^  Jehan  Le  Maire,  *'  Les  Funereaux  de  feu  Don  Philippe  unicquo 
fils  de  Maximiliao." 


EAKLY  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  17 

protect  the  Most  Holy  Faith  and  all  your  king- 
doms. ..." 

Charles  took  the  sword  by  the  hilt  with  the  point 
raised,  and,  with  uplifted  hands,  advanced  to  the 
high  altar,  where  he  knelt  in  prayer.  Thus  it  was 
that  the  boy  was  admitted  to  his  vast  inheritance,  in 
knightly  fashion,  while  from  her  secluded  seat,  Mar- 
guerite, who  was  henceforth  to  take  the  place  of 
father  and  mother  to  him,  looked  on  with  tender 
pride. 

In  this  personal  history  of  Charles  V  everything 
connected  with  his  early  life  and  training  is  of  im- 
portance. He  was  not  yet  two  years  old  when  his 
father  and  mother  went  forth  on  their  eventful  journey 
to  Spain,  and  his  Aunt  Marguerite  left  Flanders  to 
become  Duchess  of  Savoy.  Charles  and  his  two 
sisters,  Eleonore  and  the  baby  Isabelle,  were  left 
in  charge  of  that  wonderful  old  lady,  Margaret  of 
York,  usually  called  Madame  la  Grande,  the  third 
wife  of  his  great-grandfather  Charles  the  Bold,  Duke 
of  Burgundy.  She  was  the  sister  of  the  EngHsh 
King  Edward  IV,  and  when  Henry  VII  of  the  House 
of  Lancaster  came  to  the  throne  she  carried  on  the 
vendetta  between  the  White  Rose  and  the  Red, 
by  receiving  at  her  Court  all  disaffected  partizans  of 
the  House  of  York,  and  encouraging  all  their  con- 
spiracies until  it  was  said  of  her  that  she  "  was  aunt 
to  every  pretender."  The  most  important  of  these 
was  Perkin  Warbeck. 

The  warm-hearted  princess  had  already  proved 
herself  a  devoted  friend  to  two  generations  of  the 
House  of  Burgundy  :  her  step-daughter  Marie,  the 
2 


18  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

beloved  wife  of  Maximilian,  and  their  son  Philippe, 
who  looked  upon  her  as  a  mother.    She  now  devoted 
all  her  talent  and  energy  to  the  training  of  this  young 
Archduke,  for  whom  fortune  and  diplomacy  had  com- 
bined to  prepare  so  vast  an  inheritance.    His  early 
life  was  spent  in  the  splendid  Dower-palace  of  Mahnes, 
with  its  spacious  grounds  and  park,  where  he  learnt 
to  ride  almost  before  he  could  speak.    A  learned 
scholar,  Juan  de  Vera,  was  entrusted  with  the  duty 
of  teaching  him  to  read  and  write  until  he  was  five 
years  old,  and  we  can  form  some  idea  of  the  watchful 
care  with  which  he  was  trained  for  his  high  position 
when  we  find  the  cliild,  at  barely  four  years  old,  made 
use  of  as  a  pohtical  asset.     In  the  State  Papers  of 
Spain  a  letter  from  Charles  is  still  preserved  dated 
January  1504,  addressed   to  King  Ferdinand,  and 
begging     "  with    humble    supphcation,     that     you 
will  send   home   the   princess   my   mother,  because 
the  prince  my  father  is  very  lonely   without  her. 
I    commend    myself    to    my   beloved    brother,   the 
Infant   don  Fernando  ^  ;    my   sisters  the  Infantas 
dona  Leonor  and  dona  Isabel,  thanks  to  God,  are 
in  good  health,  and  kiss  the  royal  hands  of  your 
Highness.     I    pray  your   Highness   to    forgive    the 
discourtesy  of   my  not  writing  this  with  my  own 
hand.  .  .  .  From  your  most  obedient  grandson  and 
servitor.  .  .  .  Charles."' 

The  name  is  in  the  boy's  own  writing.     We  do  not 
know  what  influence  this  letter  had,  but  his  mother 

^  Born  in  Spain  the  previous  March, 

2  Bib.  de  I'Acad.  de  I'Hist.  A.  10,  fol.  42. 


EAKLY  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  19 

Juana  was  allowed  to  return  to  Flanders  shortly 
afterwards. 

Already  the  burden  of  coming  greatness  had  fallen 
upon  the  infant  prince,  for  he  was  barely  eighteen 
months  old  when,  to  suit  his  father's  diplomacy,  he 
had  been  betrothed  to  Claude  of  France,  the  baby 
daughter  of  Louis  XII ;  and  this  engagement  was 
renewed  in  1502,  1504,  and  1505.  It  was  only  the 
beginning  of  many  such  negotiations  in  the  coming 
years,  all  of  which  were  destined  to  ultimate  failure. 
Between  the  rival  claims  of  his  two  ambitious 
grandfathers,  MaximiHan  and  Ferdinand,  the  guar- 
dianship of  Charles  can  have  been  no  sinecure. 
The  death  of  the  warm-hearted  mihtant  Enghsh 
princess,  Margaret  of  York  and  dowager  Duchess  of 
Bourgogne,  left  the  place  open  for  the  Emperor's 
daughter  on  her  return  from  Savoy  in  1507,  when  she 
was  proclaimed  Regent  of  the  Netherlands,  and 
guardian  of  Charles,  Archduke  of  Austria,  with  his 
brother  and  sisters.  The  Estates  of  Louvain  had 
gladly  ratified  this  appointment,  for  since  the  death 
of  her  brother  PhiHppe,  they  looked  upon  her  as  in 
the  direct  Une  from  her  grandfather,  their  great 
Duke  Charles  the  Bold. 

It  was  in  July  1507  that  she  made  her  formal 
entry  into  Mahnes  and  took  up  her  abode  in  the 
stately  palace.  -  Charles  was  now  seven  years  old, 
his  sister  Eleonore  was  nine,  Isabelle  six,  and  Marie 
not  quite  two.  As  for  the  brother  Ferdinand,  a 
child  of  four,  he  had  been  retained  in  Spain  under 
the  care  of  King  Ferdinand,  while  the  infant  Catahna, 
born  after  her  father's  death,  could  not  be  removed 


20  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

from  the  jealous  care  of  her  unfortunate  mother,  Juana. 
To  the  poor  boy  so  tragically  deprived  of  both  father 
and  mother,  these  young  sisters  gave  a  warm  glow  of 
family  life  which  tempered  his  naturally  cold  inde- 
pendence of  character,  and  made  him  more  gentle 
and  loveable.  We  hear  of  the  children  taking  part 
in  games  and  hohday-making ;  gathering  flowers  in 
the  summer  meadows  and  dancing  together  round 
the  traditional  bonfire  on  the  Feast  of  St.  John.  In 
the  days  to  come,  Charles  ever  showed  the  warmest 
affection  for  his  sisters,  who  returned  it  by  a  passionate 
devotion  which  endured  to  the  end  of  his  Ufe. 

His  eldest  sister  Eleonore  was  perhaps  his  favourite, 
and  with  her  he  shared  a  strong  taste  for  music, — 
another  bond  of  sympathy, — for  they  took  lessons 
together  on  the  clavichord,  the  viol  and  other  instru- 
ments, their  teacher  being  the  organist  of  the  Chapel 
Royal. 

From  the  constant  correspondence  between  Maxi- 
miHan  and  his  daughter  Marguerite,  we  see  the 
extreme  interest  which  he  takes  in  his  grandchildren  ; 
he  sends  them  wonderful  toys,  amongst  others  a 
kind  of  wooden  rocking  horse,  and  a  sledge  for  winter 
use,  made  like  a  ship  with  masts  and  ropes  and  the 
Imperial  flag.  The  childhood  of  the  Emperor  is 
repeated  in  that  of  Charles,  who  dehghts  in  war-games, 
he  himself  being  the  leader  of  the  Christian  host, 
while  one  of  his  pages  is  placed  in  command  of  the 
Paynims,  and  finds  cause  of  complaint  in  that  his 
side  is  always  beaten. 

In  the  midst  of  his  many  travels  and  constant  war- 
fare in  some  part  or  other  of  his  dominions,  Maxi- 


EARLY  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  21 

milian  always  found  time  to  watch  over  his  heir,  and 
control  the  minutest  details  of  his  household.  He 
appointed  as  Governor,  Guillaume  de  Croy,  Lord  of 
Chievres,  while  as  tutor  under  him,  after  Juan  de 
Vera,  Louis  Vacca,  another  Spaniard  of  European 
reputation,  undertook  the  education  of  the  young 
prince,  for  six  years,  until  he  was  eleven.  In  his 
lessons,  as  in  his  play,  we  read  the  story  of  Maxi- 
mihan  over  again ;  the  boy  could  not  be  persuaded 
to  take  any  interest  in  scholastic  definitions  and  meta- 
physical doctrines ;  he  cared  nothing  for  words, 
and  only  wanted  facts.  He  had  no  facility  in  learn- 
ing languages,  and  was  only  at  home  in  his  natural 
language,  French ;  the  future  ruler  of  so  many 
nations  would  have  slowly  and  laboriously  to  acquire 
the  means  of  speaking  with  them. 

On  the  other  hand,  Charles  showed  the  utmost 
keenness  in  the  pursuit  of  all  manly  and  warhke 
exercises — riding,  fencing,  wresthng,  while  he  early 
became  expert  at  shooting.  He  was  barely  ten  years 
old  when  he  greatly  cheered  his  grandfather  by  show- 
ing a  passion  for  his  own  favourite  sport  of  hunting. 
Meantime,  nothing  was  neglected  in  the  way  of 
trairung  the  boy  in  the  art  of  government,  to  prepare 
him  for  the  great  destiny  which  awaited  him.  At 
the  age  of  seven  we  find  him  required  to  make  a 
speech  before  the  assembled  "  Estates  "  of  Louvain, 
in  order  to  support  his  aunt  Marguerite's  appeal  for 
a  subsidy  from  the  close-fisted  burghers.  He  was 
also  taught  the  art  of  diplomacy  in  letter-writing, 
and  was  made  use  of  to  serve  the  aims  of  his  ambitious 
relations.    Thus,  in  October  lp08,  we  find  him  writing 


22  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

to  Ferdinand  of  Spain  in  order  to  obtain  a  post  for  a 
certain  Pero  Ruiz  de  la  Mota  :  "  To  the  Catholic  and 
most  noble  King,  my  lord.  The  Emperor  has  sent 
me  word  that  I  should  write  to  you  concerning 
Maestro  Pero.  .  .  .  Your  humble  and  obedient  grand- 
son, who  kisses  your  royal  hands.    Charles.'' 

It  was  in  the  same  year  that  he  was  required  to 
write  a  love-letter  to  Mary  Tudor,  sending  her  at  the 
same  time  a  costly  jewel ;  for,  by  his  time,  the 
V  French  princess  had  in  the  course  of  events,  given 
place  to  the  daughter  of  Henry  VII,  as  the  betrothed 
of  the  young  Archduke.  A  courtly  letter  to  the 
Pope  from  Charles  at  this  period  is  also  preserved, 
and  others  to  King  Ferdinand  on  various  subjects. 
Charles  appears  to  have  been  actually  wedded  by 
proxy  to  Mary  Tudor,  and  so  strong  was  the  desire 
at  this  time  to  make  a  lasting  alHance  with  England, 
that  MaximiHan  entered  into  negotiations  for  the 
marriage  of  King  Henry  VII  with  the  Princess  Mar- 
guerite. But  this  wise  lady  steadily  refused  to  Hsten 
to  such  proposals,  saying  that  "  already  three  times 
she  had  accepted  the  marriages  arranged  for  her,  and 
had  endured  nothing  but  misfortune.''  Louis  XII 
was  very  indignant  at  the  shght  shown  to  his  young 
daughter  Claude,  by  her  engagement  to  Charles  being 
broken  off,  after  it  had  been  the  ground  of  four 
difierent  treaties.  He  sent  formal  complaints  to 
"the  Pope,  the  King  of  Aragon,  and  all  the 
Christian  sovereigns  *' ;  but  these  were  naturally  of 
no  avail. 
The  Emperor  could  never  forget  how  the  House  of 


EARLY  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  23 

Hapsburg  had  built  up  its  greatness  by  fortunate 
marriages,  and  we  find  him  giving  anxious  thought 
to  every  possible  suitor  for  his  granddaughters.  As 
early  as  1509  a  Prince  of  Portugal  is  suggested  for 
Eleonore,  and  later  Sigismond,  King  of  Poland,  while 
amongst  proposed  alHances  we  see  the  Duke  of 
Guelders,  the  Duke  of  Lorraine,  Henri  d'Albret,  son 
of  the  King  of  Navarre,  and  the  Kings  of  Hungary 
and  Denmark  considered  as  suitable  for  the  younger 
princesses,  whose  story  will  be  told  in  due  time. 
Other  projects  were  also  made  for  Charles,  but 
they  all  came  to  nothing,  and  in  the  end  he  ar- 
ranged his  own  marriage  to  please  himself  and  his 
subjects. 

Meantime,  under  the  watchful  guidance  of  his  Aunt 
Marguerite,  he  was  being  carefully  trained  in  the  art 
of  government ;  he  was  present  at  every  Council,  he 
travelled  about  the  Netherlands  to  the  various  cities 
learning  their  customs  and  their  needs,  when  other 
boys  of  his  age  would  have  been  occupied  in  playing 
games  with  their  young  companions.  He  had  no 
real  childhood,  and  this  early  forcing  of  his  intellect 
and  character  may  have  had  much  to  do  with  the 
revulsion  of  feeling  in  his  later  years. 

As  to  his  personal  appearance,  we  learn  that 
Charles  was  a  fine,  handsome  boy,  well  grown  for  his 
years,  with  a  broad,  intelligent  forehead,  clear,  honest 
blue  eyes,  and  an  aquiline  nose  ;  while  the  only  draw- 
back to  his  appearance  was  the  heavy  under-jaw 
which  was  a  characteristic  of  the  Hapsburg  race.  He 
was  courtly  and  pleasant  in  his  manner,  but  some- 
what cold  and  reserved  to  strangers  ;,  he  could  always 


24  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

be  trusted  to  tell  the  truth,  and  was  early  noted  for 
a  strong  sense  of  justice  and  also  for  great  tenacity 
in  holding  any  opinion  which  he  had  formed.  It  will 
be  interesting  to  trace  the  growth  of  his  character 
in  the  great  career  which  awaited  him. 


CHAPTER  III 

WAR  WITH  GUELDERS — MARGUERITE  OF  AUSTRIA, 
REGENT  OF  THE  NETHERLANDS 

Marguerite  of  Austria,  Regent  of  the  Netherlands — Her  correspondence 
with  her  father,  the  Emperor  Maximilian — Incessant  war  with 
Guelders,  under  Duke  Charles  of  Egmond,  who  was  supported  by 
France — The  Regent's  urgent  need  of  men  and  money — Maxi- 
milian at  the  time  engaged  in  war  with  Venice,  in  seeking  to 
regain  Milan,  and  in  the  attempt  to  lead  a  crusade  against  the 
Turks — Details  of  the  war  with  Guelders. 

The  history  of  Charles  V,  from  the  death  of  his  father 
in  1507,  to  his  own  early  majority  in  1515,  is  the  story 
of  the  Netherlands,  and  our  best  authority  for  that 
part  which  personally  concerns  him  is  to  be  found  in 
the  vast  quantity  of  letters  which  passed  between 
MaximiHan  and  his  daughter  Marguerite.^  It  was 
no  Hght  task  which  the  young  princess  of  six-and- 
twenty  had  so  gallantly  undertaken,  for  on  every  side 
there  were  possible  foes  who  watched  with,  unfriendly 
eyes  the  growing  power  of  the  Hapsburgs. 

Under  the  name  of  the  Netherlands,  many  duchies, 
counties,  and  lordships  were  included,  and  the  turbu- 
lent burghers  in  the  great  cities  needed  a  wise  and 
vigilant  rule.  Internal  feuds  amongst  the  various 
States  were  a  constant  source  of  anxiety ;  but  the 
definite  and  persistent  rebellion  of  one  of  the  great 

^  About  550  are  still  preserved  in  the  archives  of  Lille. 

25 


26  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

feudal  lords,  Charles,  Duke  of  Guelders,  gave  Mar- 
guerite more  trouble  than  anything  else.  This  young 
prince,  whose  grandfather  Arnold  had  pledged  the 
duchy  to  Charles  of  Burgundy,  was  helped  and  en- 
couraged by  Louis  XII  to  assert  his  supposed  rights, 
and  take  possession  of  the  land  of  his  ancestors,  while 
his  people  fought  with  enthusiasm  to  assert  their 
independence  under  the  brave  and  ambitious  young 
Charles  of  Egmond.  We  shall  see  that  the  story  of 
this  long  struggle  of  a  small  State  against  the  power 
of  the  Empire  takes  up  an  incredible  share  in  the 
correspondence  between  father  and  daughter. 

One  of  the  most  important  of  Luke  Charles's  mih- 
tary  stations  was  the  stronghold  of  Pouderoyen,  not 
far  from  the  Meuse ;  it  was  situated  on  the  frontier 
of  Brabant  and  Holland,  was  well  fortified,  and  of 
use  for  invasions  into  both  States.  The  men  of 
Bois-le-Duc,  assisted  by  a  company  from  Holland 
and  four  hundred  mercenaries  commanded  by  Count 
Jean  of  Egmond,  laid  siege  to  the  castle.  They  built 
a  blockhouse  before  the  place,  and  sought  to  cut  off 
all  conmiunications  ;  but  the  garrison  had,  for  captain, 
the  wily  old  Henri  Ens,  known  as  Suyderwint,  who 
was  more  than  a  match  for  the  besiegers  and  held 
them  at  bay  until  the  Duke  of  Guelders  arrived  and 
the  siege  was  raised.  Marguerite  was  much  annoyed 
when  she  heard  of  this  repulse,  and  she  wrote  to  her 
general,  Jean  of  Egmond  :  "  It  is  quite  true  that  we 
must  expect  misfortunes,  but  it  seems  to  me  that 
we  have  many  more  by  our  own  fault  than  by  the 
Divine  Will."  The  fortress  was  retaken  later  by 
Rodolph,  Prince  of  Anhalt,  Captain-General  of  the 


MARGUERITE  OF  AUSTRIA  27 

Netherlands,  after  the  death  of  the  gallant  Suyder- 
wint. 

The  one  unceasing  complaint  throughout  the 
letters  is  the  absolute  want  of  money  for  carrying  on 
any  successful  war.  Maxim ihan  was  absorbed  by 
vast  schemes  of  conquest,  such  as  driving  the  French 
out  of  Italy,  controlhng  the  Pope,  regaining  Milan, 
and  leading  all  Europe  in  a  crusade  against  the  Turks. 
Meanwhile  there  was  never  much  money  in  his 
treasury,  and  Marguerite  found  the  greatest  difficulty 
in  obtaining  from  the  burghers  of  the  Netherlands 
funds  for  the  defence  of  their  own  country.  On 
every  side  the  soldiers  make  pitiful  appeals  for  the 
necessaries  of  hfe  ;  the  garrison  of  Tiel  have  no  pay, 
and  the  greater  part  have  "  no  coat  or  doublet  or 
shirt  on  their  backs,  and  mostly  nothing  to  eat.'* 
The  same  heart-rending  story  of  want  and  destitution 
is  repeated  by  all  the  captains,  who  insist  that  "  the 
men  will  not  fight  without  pay,  but  either  go  home 
or  join  the  other  side.'"  Meantime  the  disastrous 
guerilla  warfare  goes  on ;  we  hear  of  a  Httle  town 
being  surprised,  probably  by  treachery,  then  a  castle 
besieged  and  taken  with  cruel  massacre,  a  convent 
burnt  to  the  ground,  or  merely  a  company  of  mer- 
chants robbed  by  foot-soldiers  and  massacred  if  they 
make  resistance. 

Marguerite  has  fortunately  other  interests  in  life 
to  reheve  this  constant  strain  and  anxiety.  Charles 
and  his  sisters  are  watched  over  with  devoted  affection, 
and,  in  the  midst  of  his  strenuous  Hfe,  MaximiHan 
never  forgets  them.  In  the  autumn  of  1508  he  takes 
advantage  of  the  visit  to  Mahnes  of  the  Pope's  Legate, 


28  A  GEEAT  EMPEROR 

Cardinal  de  Saint e- Croix,  to  arrange  for  all  the 
children  to  be  confirmed  together  and  receive  the 
Cardinal's  benediction.  This  had  been  a  disastrous 
year  for  the  Emperor  ;  the  RepubHc  of  Venice  having 
refused  him  permission  to  pass  through  her  terri- 
tories with  an  army  to  be  crowned  Emperor  in  Rome, 
he  had  retahated  by  making  war,  and  lost  one  town 
after  another  on  the  northern  shores  of  the  Adriatic, 
until,  Trieste  having  fallen  and  his  generals  being 
again  defeated  by  the  Venetian  army,  he  was  com- 
pelled to  submit  to  a  humihating  truce  for  three  years. 
But  diplomacy  succeeded  where  force  had  failed,  and 
in  December  1508  the  famous  League  of  Cambray 
was  concluded,  ostensibly  to  settle  matters  with 
France  and  Guelders,  but  in  which  the  Emperor's 
secret  object  was  the  ruin  of  Venice.  It  is  interesting 
to  find  that  the  negotiations  on  his  side  were  trusted 
almost  entirely  to  his  daughter.  He  instructs  her  to 
come  to  Antwerp  with  the  boy  Charles  to  talk  over 
the  subject ;  and  the  young  Archduke  was  also  to 
accompany  his  Aunt  Marguerite  to  Cambray,  pro- 
tected by  an  escort  of  a  hundred  horsemen  and  a 
company  of  archers,  in  order  that  he  might  be  present 
at  the  Council. 

In  the  clause  which  referred  to  Guelders,  it  was 
decided  that  it  should  remain  in  the  hands  of  Duke 
Charles,  with  the  county  of  Zutphen  ;  he  was  to 
return  all  the  places  he  had  taken  in  Holland,  and 
receive  in  exchange  all  the  strongholds  which  he  had 
lost  in  Guelderland.  But  the  Treaty  was  so  much 
waste  paper  as  far  as  the  turbulent  young  prince  was 
concerned.    He  was  at  that  moment  in  open  warfare 


MARGUERITE  OF  AUSTRIA  29 

with  his  neighbour,  the  Bishop  of  Utrecht,  whose 
house  at  Kuinder,  on  the  frontier,  he  had  just  taken 
and  "  fortified  for  himself,  with  strong  bulwarks.'* 
Marguerite  remonstrates  with  him  in  vain,  for  in 
March  we  hear  of  fresh  aggressions  ;  "he  has  taken 
the  church  of  Barneveld  and  caused  it  to  be  forti- 
fied," and  Maximihan  uses  very  strong  language. 

But  this  petty  warfare  was  almost  forgotten  in 
the  supreme  interest  of  the  great  European  conflict 
with  Venice.  The  Emperor  was  compelled  to  mort- 
gage his  jewels  and  treasures  to  obtain  funds,  and, 
thus  engaged,  he  was  not  present  at  the  victory  of 
Agnadello,  where  the  army  of  the  Repubhc  was 
defeated  by  Louis  XII.  Marguerite  hears  the  news 
from  her  father,  May  18,  1509,  "  that  the  men  of 
Venice  must  have  numbered  20,000,  and  the  French 
somewhat  more,  ten  or  twelve  thousand  must  have 
been  kiUed  or  taken  prisoners,  and  the  conquerors 
gained  forty  pieces  of  artillery.''  Maximihan  desires 
to  have  good  and  powerful  chargers  sent  for  his  own 
use,  and  is  also  anxious  to  acquire  some  "  galleys 
which  bring  spices  to  Antwerp,"  as  he  is  in  want 
of  ships  of  war.  A  little  later  he  writes  that  his 
Slavonian  men-at-arms  have  been  successful  in  taking 
Verona,  Vicenza,  and  other  cities,  yet  he  does  not 
reach  the  camp  before  Padua  until  after  the  middle 
of  August.  Padua  was  most  gallantly  defended,  and 
the  united  efforts  of  the  alhes  failed  to  take  the  city 
either  by  assault  or  by  investment.  In  October 
Maximihan  most  unwisely  raised  the  siege  and 
returned  to  the  Tyrol.  This  was  the  turning-point 
of  the  campaign,  and  before  the  end  of  the  year 


30  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

Venice  had  recovered  all  that  she  had  lost  to 
Austria. 

But,  ahke  in  peace  and  war,  the  Emperor  never 
loses  his  interest  in  all  that  concerns  his  grand- 
children. He  writes  from  the  camp  before  Padua 
with  minute  directions  about  the  young  Marquis  of 
Brandenburg,  who  is  to  enter  the  service  of  the  Arch- 
duke Charles.  In  his  Court,  he  had  quite  a  pleasant 
society  of  young  companions,  amongst  whom  were  the 
two  sons  of  the  unfortunate  Lodovico  Sforza,  Duke  of 
Milan,  and  a  young  Duke  of  Saxe  is  also  m-entioned. 
There  was  great  anxiety  in  October  1509  when  the 
young  princesses  at  M  alines  were  taken  ill  with  small- 
pox, and  their  aunt,  who  was  at  the  time  with 
Charles  in  Brussels,  decides  to  remain  there  with 
him  in  order  that  he  may  not  be  exposed  to 
infection. 

The  war  in  Guelderland  still  smoulders  on,  break- 
ing out  now  in  one  place,  then  in  another,  with  utter 
disregard  of  all  treaties.  At  last,  in  1501,  a  most 
starthng  plan  is  suggested  :  to  buy  peace  from 
Charles  of  Egmond  by  giving  him,  as  a  bride,  one  of 
the  sisters  of  the  Archduke.  The  second,  Isabelle, 
a  girl  of  nine,  is  spoken  of,  but  there  is  so  much 
opposition  from  her  Spanish  grandfather  Ferdinand, 
Henry  VIII,  and  other  people  of  importance,  that  the 
incredible  alhance  is  given  up.  In  December  Mar- 
guerite writes  that  all  negotiations  are  broken  off 
with  Charles  of  Guelderland ;  she  implores  Maxi- 
mihan  to  give  directions  for  defending  the  frontiers 
of  Holland  and  Brabant,  adding  pathetically :  "  With 
regard  to  me,  Monseigneur,  you  know  that  I  am  a 


MARGUERITE  OF  AUSTRIA  31 

woman,  and  that  it  is  not  rightly  my  business  to 
meddle  with  war.  ..." 

The  Regent  has  a  most  ardent  desire  for  peace,  but 
even  her  own  general,  Florent  d'Egmond,  seems  to 
have  other  views.     The  States  of  Utrecht  complain 
that  he  has  attacked  their  city  and  done  much  damage. 
The  canals  were  covered  with  ice  at  the  time,  and  he 
would  have  taken  the  citadel  had  not  a  troop  of 
cavalry  from  Guelders  arrived  and  given  the  alarm, 
seizing  the  chariots  which  carried  the  ladders  and 
other  instruments   of   war,   and   so  preventing  the 
assault.     Marguerite  expresses  her  great  regret;  and 
orders  Egmond  to  set  free  his  prisoners  and  to  repair 
the  damage.     She  is  very  angry,  for  this  general  will 
never  give  her  the  chance  of  a  quiet  life,  and  she 
beheves  that  the  constant  warfare  is  partly  his  fault. 
The  whole  story  of  this  Guelders  war  would  read 
like  a  farce  if  it  were  not  that  every  one  concerned  is 
in  such  deadly  earnest.     All  the  events  are  described 
most  vividly,  with  quaint  details.     Thus,  the  surprise 
of  Harderwick  by  the  men  of  Guelders  is  explained  : 
they  met  some  women  in  a  cart  who,  not  knowing 
these  were  enemies,  let  out  the  fact  of  the  small 
number  of  defenders.     Then  it  was  beheved  that  the 
city  gate  was  opened  by  treachery,  and  some  men-at- 
arms  escaped  with  the  news  to  Arnheim,  where  Duke 
Charles  expresses  great  astonishment.      Really   he 
*'  did  not  know  there  was  any  war  going  on  except 
against  the  infidels  .  .  .  and  although  his  men  had 
taken    the    place    without    his    knowledge  ...  he 
cannot  give  it  up.  .  .  ."" 
Marguerite  certainly  has  no  peace,  for  in  April, 


32  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

1511,     she     writes     from     Ghent    that    "Flemish 
merchants,   to   the  number  of  twenty-four,  with  a 
safe-conduct,    were    on   their    way    to    Frankfort, 
w^hen  they  were  set  upon  by  a  hundred  horsemen  of 
Guelders,    who   killed   two   or   three   and   wounded 
others,  taking  the  rest  to  a  strong  and  close  prison, 
in  the  town  of  Guelders,  holding  them  to  a  great 
ransom  exceeding  100,000  florins,  which  is  a  great 
scandal  and  loss  to  the  aforesaid  poor  merchants.  .  .  ." 
There    are    pitiful    complaints    from    Antwei'p    and 
Malines,  "which  cities  will  not  be  satisfied  until  the 
road  is  made  safe  for  their  merchants."     This  raid 
became  a  subject  of  international  importance,  and 
many  letters  passed  between  the  Emperor,  Louis  XII 
of  France,  the  Regent  of  the  Netherlands,  and  various 
ambassadors.      But  no  compromise  was  possible  with 
Charles  of  Guelders,   and  Marguerite  found  herself 
obhged  to  carry  on  this  petty  disastrous  war,  while 
the  terrible  truth  was  that  she  had  no  money  to  meet 
the   expenses.     On   every   side   her  generals   write, 
imploring  her  to  send  pay  for  the  soldiers  or  they 
will  give  up  the  citadels  and  go  over  to  the  other 
side. 

Egmond  writes  :  "As  you  love  your  land  of  Hol- 
land, send  the  money !  "  "  Our  men  are  pillaging  and 
devouring  the  peasants  "  ("  manger  le  bonhomme  " 
is  the  vivid  expression).  Soudenbalch  writes : 
"  They  were  ready  to  kill  me  for  their  pay."  Henri 
de  Nassau  declares  that  he  has  spent  all  his  own 
money,  and  asks  to  resign.  Meantime  the  French 
King  secretly  kept  the  Duke  of  Guelders  in  funds, 
and  something  happened  every  day.     The  important 


MARGUERITE  OF  AUSTRIA  33 

town  of  Bommel,  on  the  river  Waal,  was  taken  by- 
strategy,  with  a  vessel  apparently  laden  with  faggots, 
while  underneath  a  number  of  soldiers  were  hidden. 
The  Bishop  of  Utrecht  gives  much  trouble,  and  seems 
to  be  playing  a  double  game.  Hatteni  was  given  up 
by  treachery.  On  the  Zuiderzee  the  men  of  Holland, 
however,  chased  with  sixteen  boats  the  men  of 
Guelders,  who  fled.  But  in  September  1511  the 
Regent  receives  bad  news  of  the  taking  of  Tiel,  on 
the  river  Waal,  and  also  of  the  castle  of  Wisch,  in 
the  county  of  Zutphen. 

At  length  Marguerite  apphes  to  Henry  VIII  for 
assistance,  and  a  certain  number  of  Enghsh  soldiers 
are  sent  under  the  command  of  Edward  Poyning, 
and  they  give  great  satisfaction,  especially  the 
artillerymen,  who  '*  acquit  themselves  marvellously 
well,  and  better  than  any  others  in  the  said  army 
[sent  to  lay  siege  to  Venloo],  for  which  they  deserve 
much  praise. ""  Unfortunately,  they  are  only  provided 
for  four  months. 

The  next  year,  1512,  saw  great  events  happening 
in  Italy,  which  was  then  the  battle-field  of  Europe. 
These  only  concern  our  history  in  so  far  as  Maxi- 
miUan  and  his  dominions  were  actually  concerned. 
The  Pope,  Juhus  II,  had  succeeded  in  forming  a 
"  Holy  League  by  which  Spain,  England,  and  Venice 
were  to  serve  him  by  regaining  all  the  papal  lands. 
The  Emperor  was  induced  to  make  peace  with 
Venice  in  April ;  he  also  allowed  the  Swiss  to  pass 
through  the  Tyrol  and  join  the  Pope's  army,  while 
in  June  he  summoned  four  thousand  German  lands- 
knechte  to  leave  the  service  of  France. 
3 


34  A  GEEAT  EMPEROR 

Marguerite  writes  to  her  father  to  say  that  both 
the  Swiss  and  the  French  wish  to  cross  the  domains 
of  Burgundy.  She  points  out  what  a  terrible  thing 
this  would  be,  and  insists  that  steps  must  be  taken 
to  prevent  either  army  from  doing  so  in  order  **  to 
preserve  his  poor  subjects  and  country  from  total 
destruction  and  perdition/'  She  makes  continued 
efforts  to  keep  the  Netherlands  neutral  in  the  coming 
war.  It  is  owing  to  her  advice  that  the  young  Maxi- 
mihan,  son  of  Lodovico  Sforza,  is  made  Duke  of 
Milan  ;  she  could  not  foresee  that,  three  years  later, 
he  would  be  compelled  to  resign  and  spend  the  rest 
of  his  life  a  pensioned  exile  in  France.  She  is  en- 
trusted by  Maximihan  with  most  of  the  diplomatic 
arrangements  with  Henry  VIII,  and  has  to  induce 
him  to  advance  the  sum  of  50,000  golden  crowns  to 
equip  1,500  German  horsemen  and  provide  artillery 
to  help  the  Swiss.  From  her  own  plate  and  jewels 
she  supphes  presents  to  ambassadors,  and  bribes  of 
various  amounts  to  everybody  ! 

There  is  still  bad  news  of  the  war  in  Guelderland, 
and  Charles  of  Egmond  succeeds  in  taking  the 
important  city  of  Woudrichem,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Meuse.  The  Regent  insists  upon  the  city  being  re- 
covered, and  Henri  of  Nassau  describes  his  plan  for 
the  siege.  He  has  stationed  boats  on  the  river  to 
guard  the  approaches,  but  "  the  nights  are  so  dark, 
and  our  men  are  so  often  tipsy,  that  I  fear  they  will 
do  but  httle  on  the  watch.  Madame  must  send  more 
men  at  once,  and  see  that  they  are  paid  from  next 
Monday ;  also  there  is  sore  need  of  provisions.  ..." 
Woudrichem  is  ultimately  retaken,  and  many  of  the 


MARGUERITE  OF  AUSTRIA  35 

men  of  Guelders  make  their  escape  by  the  river. 
Then  the  towns  of  Tiel  and  Wissen  are  taken,  and 
Marguerite  is  sorely  troubled  to  find  money  for  her 
soldiers.  In  her  last  letter  of  1512  she  laments  that 
"  three  hundred  knights  of  Arnheim  are  living  on  the 
villages  and  pillaging  my  poor  people  of  Brabant." 
However,  when  she  has  spent  all  her  own  private 
means,  she  obtains  a  grant  of  60,000  florins  from  the 
States  of  Flanders.  In  the  frequent  letters  which 
she  receives  from  Duke  Charles  of  Guelders,  we  find 
a  curious  mixture  of  personal  respect  and  friendh- 
ness,  combined  with  violent  complaints  against  her 
generals. 


CHAPTER   IV 

LEARNED   TUTORS   OF   CHARLES — HIS   AFFECTION 
FOR   HIS    SISTERS 

Youthful  training  and  education  of  Charles — His  affection  for  his 
sisters,  Eldonore,  Isabelle,  and  Marie — His  tutors,  Louis  Vacca  and 
Adrian  of  Utrecht — Serious  scholastic  teaching — Influence  of  his 
governor,  Guillaume  de  Croy,  Lord  of  Chievres — Marriage  alliances 
arranged  for  his  sisters — Charles  present  at  the  Council  of  Tournay 
— He  is  emancipated  at  the  age  of  fifteen. 

From  the  anxiety  and  troubles  of  her  Government 
in  the  Netherlands,  Marguerite  could  at  least  turn 
with  satisfaction  to  the  royal  children  under  her 
care,  and  she  can  write  to  her  father  in  the  year 
1511  : 

*'  Monsieur  my  nephew  and  Mesdames  my 
nieces  are  in  good  health  and  disposition,  by  the 
Grace  of  God ;  and  I  believe  that  my  young  prince 
devotes  himself  steadily  to  all  good  things,  even  as 
he  grows  from  day  to  day.  I  hope  so  to  watch  over 
him  that  he  may  do  you  credit.'* 

For  the  last  six  years  his  tutor,  Louis  Vacca,  has 
given  the  greatest  satisfaction  by  the  care  and  trouble 
which  he  has  taken  with  the  boy  and  his  sisters.  The 
princess  writes  two  letters  to  Maximilian  on  his 
behalf,  begging  that  Vacca  may  be  duly  recompensed 
and  advanced  in  salary  and  ecclesiastical  dignities. 

36 


LEARNED  TUTORS  OF  CHARLES   37 

A  new  tutor  has  been  chosen  for  Charles,  the  good 
Dean  of  Louvain,  Adrian  of  Utrecht ;  a  pious  man 
of  advanced  age,  and  a  learned  scholar  who  had  been 
professor  at  that  University.  If  we  may  judge  from 
the  utter  inefficiency  which  he  betrayed  throughout 
his  later  history,  he  was  the  last  person  in  the  world 
to  attract  or  interest  Charles,  with  his  dull  and 
already  antiquated  scholastic  methods.  We  know 
that  the  prince  complained  of  "  being  taught  as 
though  he  were  destined  to  be  a  schoolmaster." 

Besides  his  tutor,  this  much-educated  boy  had  a 
governor  and  court  chamberlain,  Guillaume  de  Croy, 
Lord  of  Chievres,  who,  since  1509,  had  been  the 
young  prince's  "  constant  companion  by  day  and 
night— except  at  dinner."'  This  Burgundian  noble 
was  a  soldier  and  a  diplomatist ;  and  he  appears  to 
have  won  the  affection  of  his  charge  by  encouraging 
him  in  the  pursuit  of  manly  games  and  martial 
exercises.  The  astute  chamberlain  also  used  his 
influence  to  persuade  Charles  to  take  an  interest  in 
public  affairs,  to  attend  meetings  at  the  Councils, 
and  write  diplomatic  letters,  probably  from  dictation, 
when  he  only  longed  to  be  out  hunting  or  shooting. 
This  constant  self-sacrifice  must  have  had  a  bracing 
effect  upon  the  boy's  character. 

In  a  letter  written  some  time  later  by  the  English 
envoy,  SpinelH,  to  Henry  VIII,  there  is  a  curious 
illustration  of  the  strength  of  purpose  which  the 
young  Archduke  could  show  when  pohtical  interests 
were  at  stake.  His  eldest  sister  Eleonore,  who  was 
destined  for  the  throne  of  Portugal,  had  been  greatly 
attracted  by  the  attentions  of  the  brilHant,  hand- 


38  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

Bome  young  Frederick  Count  Palatine,  and  Chi^vres 
informed  Charles  one  day  that  his  sister  had  begun 
a  clandestine  correspondence,  and  had  that  moment 
received  a  letter  from  the  Count.  It  was  a  terrible 
blow  to  the  brother,  who  was  devoted  to  Eleonore 
and  a  great  friend  of  her  lover,  to  discover  such 
deception ;  but  he  at  once  seized  the  letter,  and  put 
a  stop  to  the  intrigue.  "  From  his  constancy  in  a 
like  aft'air,  many  do  conject  in  him  good  stomak  and 
couragge,  and  how  that  he  shall  not  lightly  forget 
offences,  and  how  he  will  be  fast  in  his  determina- 
tions .  .  .,"  wrote  Spinelh  with  curious  foresight. 
Other  good  quahties  are  attributed  to  him,  such  a 
hatred  of  flattery,  a  fierce  dishke  for  all  unkind  gossip 
or  evil-speaking,  and  a  horror  of  the  effects  of  drink. 
During  these  early  years,  we  are  told  of  occasional 
visits  paid  by  Maximihan  to  the  Netherlands  when 
his  grandchildren  are  invited  to  meet  him  with  their 
Aunt  Marguerite.  They  all  travel  in  state  accom- 
panied by  their  suite,  perhaps  to  the  palace  at 
Brussels,  with  a  company  of  men-at-arms  to  guard 
them.  It  is  a  great  occasion,  and  they  feast  on 
venison  of  the  Emperor's  shooting.  There  is  always 
much  to  discuss  between  the  father  and  daughter;  she 
persuades  him  to  use  all  his  efforts  to  place  Maxi- 
milian Sforza  on  the  throne  of  Milan,  lest  he  should 
be  thought  anxious  to  keep  it  for  himself.  There  are 
marriages  to  arrange  for  the  three  princesses,  and, 
unfortunately,  there  are  so  few  ehgible  princes,  for 
the  alliances  must  promote  the  interests  of  the 
Emperor.  Louis,  son  of  the  King  of  Hungary,  would 
be  a  suitable  husband  for  Marie,  and  Christian  II  of 


LEARNED  TUTORS  OF  CHARLES   39 

Denmark  is  tallied  of  for  Isabelle  ;  both  of  which 
marriages  are  carried  out  later.  Maximihan  Sforza 
is  made  Duke  of  Milan  in  December  1512,  by  the 
help  of  the  Emperor. 

The  year  1513  opens  with  another  treaty  between 
Maximihan  and  Pope  Juhus  II,  who  made  a  pious 
end  of  his  turbulent  hfe  soon  after,  in  February,  and 
he  was  succeeded  by  Giovanni  dei  Medici,  who  took 
the  title  of  Leo  X.  He  found  himself  in  the  midst  of 
a  fierce  conflict  between  France  and  Spain,  in  which 
he  was  compelled  to  take  part,  and  therefore  renewed 
the  Papal  alhance  with  Ferdinand  of  Aragon,  Maxi- 
mihan, and  Henry  VIII.  Marguerite  has  to  use  all 
her  diplomacy  to  strengthen  the  friendship  between 
her  father  and  Henry  VIII,  and  most  of  their  cor- 
respondence passes  through  her  hands.  Thus  the 
Emperor  has  drawn  out  a  plan  for  the  invasion  of 
France  which  he  wishes  forwarded  to  the  King  of 
England. 

"  In  the  first  place,  Henry  is  not  to  land  at 
Boulogne,  which  is  well  fortified  and  defended,  so 
that  time  would  be  wasted  in  trying  to  take  it.  No, 
the  landing  must  be  at  Crotoy,  a  few  leagues  from 
Boulogne,  and  our  good  brother  must  know  that  the 
tide  there  is  three  hours  low  and  the  other  nine  hours 
high  .  .  .  and  that  the  sand  is  so  chnging  that,  for 
big  horses  and  men-at-arms,  it  will  be  needful  to 
have  a  bridge  which  may  be  used  in  any  state  of  the 
tide.  .  .  ." 

Maximihan  then  advises  King  Henry  to  make 
his  way  to  St.  Quentin  and  take  that  city,  so  as 
to  have  provision  for^his  army  in  all  the  country 


40  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

round.     "  And  I  will  be  there  in  person  with  a  good 
company  of  men-at-arms.  .  .  ." 

Marguerite  succeeded  in  maintaining  the  neutrahty 
of  the  Netherlands  in  the  coming  war  with  France. 
Meantime  Henry  VIII  selected  Calais  as  bis  landing- 
place,  and  in  July  he  joined  the  force  besieging  the 
fortified  city  of  Therouanne.  The  French  troops 
tried  to  bring  provisions  for  the  garrison,  but  were 
defeated  in  the  attempt,  and  the  engagement  was 
rather  unfairly  called  the  Battle  of  Spurs,  as  the 
reheving  force  was  small  and  had  orders  to  retreat 
if  attacked.  Maximihan  had  arrived  by  this  time 
and  wrote  to  his  daughter  on  August  24,  that  he  was 
present  at  the  taking  of  Therouanne.  Tournay  was 
the  next  place  besieged,  and  on  the  way  thither  the 
Enghsh  King  paid  a  visit  to  Marguerite  at  Lille, 
which  was  then  in  Flanders.  She  writes  on  Sep- 
tember 22,  with  regard  to  a  proposed  meeting  of  the 
alhed  sovereigns  at  Tournay,  that  she  is  wilhng  to 
ride  thither  if  it  is  necessary  to  the  service  of  the 
Emperor  :  "  mais  sans  cella,  ce  n'est  le  cas  de  femme 
veuve  de  troter  et  aller  visiter  armees  pour  le 
plesir.  .  .  . 

The  Princess,  however,  bravely  overcomes  her 
scruples,  and  arrives  in  state  at  Tournay  with  her 
nephew  Charles  and  his  suite,  which  certainly  in- 
cluded his  constant  companion,  Chi^vres.  It  was 
indeed  a  meeting  of  most  interesting  personahties. 
We  can  picture  to  ourselves  Marguerite  in  the  demure, 
nun-like  dress  which  Van  Orley  painted,  calm  and 
wise  with  the  eventful  experience  of  her  thirty-three 
years.    We  see  the  stately  figure  of  Maximihan  in 


LEARNED  TUTORS  OF  CHARLES   41 

his  battered  armour,  ever  hopeful  and  eager,  a 
strong  contrast  to  the  gorgeous  flamboyant  young 
King  Henry  VIII,  with  the  cautious  and  watchful 
Wolsey  by  his  side.  But  the  interest  centres  upon 
the  Archduke  Charles,  a  tall,  well-grown  boy  of 
thirteen,  with  a  natural  air  of  quiet  dignity  by  which 
he  was  always  distinguished ;  silent  and  reserved, 
but  with  pleasing,  courteous  manners.  His  marriage 
with  Mary  Tudor,  the  sister  of  the  Enghsh  King, 
is  one  of  the  important  subjects  of  consideration, 
having  been  solemnly  arranged  five  years  before. 

In  the  private  memoirs  of  Charles,  to  which  we 
shall  often  have  occasion  to  refer,  he  mentions  a  fact 
not  generally  known,  that  it  was  at  this  period  when 
his  "  emancipation "  or  coming  of  age  was  first 
settled.  It  actually  came  to  pass  in  1515  when,  as 
he  says,  "  he  was  recognized  as  lord  in  the  States 
of  Flanders.'*  At  this  meeting  at  Tournay,  one  very 
important  agreement  was  signed  by  Henry  VIII ;  it 
is  addressed  to  Marguerite  as  Regent  of  the  Nether- 
lands. "  My  good  sister  and  cousin,  I  promise,  on 
the  word  of  a  king,  never  to  treat  or  conclude  peace 
or  truce  with  our  common  enemies,  the  French, 
without  your  seal  and  permission,  on  condition  that 
you  on  your  side  will  do  the  same.  ..." 

We  turn  from  these  political  affairs  to  the  domestic 
life  of  Charles,  and  note  the  constant  interest  which 
Maximihan  takes  in  his  grandchildren.  He  visits 
Brussels,  and  his  first  thought  is  to  invite  them  all 
to  meet  him,  and  gives  special  directions  that  the 
young  Archduke's  room  is  to  be  close  to  his  own. 
There  is  much  to  arrange.    Charles  is  to  write  some 


42  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

good  letters  in  "  walon,"  to  the  King  of  Aragon  his 
grandfather,  to  the  Queen  Juana  his  mother,  and  to 
his  brother  Ferdinand,  on  whom  he  is  to  bestow  the 
title  of  Archduke  of  Austria,  for  "  such  is  our  plea- 
sure/' A  marriage  is  next  to  be  considered  between 
the  Princess  Isabelle,  now  twelve  years  of  age,  and 
King  Christian  II  of  Denmark ;  the  ambassadors 
are  coming  to  negotiate  the  matter.  All  this  time 
there  are  constant  letters  about  appointments  to 
posts  in  the  household  of  Charles,  to  ecclesiastical 
offices,  and  other  matters.  We  hear  of  the  death  of 
Anne  de  Bretagne,  the  wife  of  Louis  XII,  who  had 
always  kept  up  friendly  relations  with  Marguerite 
and  had  set  her  heart  upon  the  marriage  of  Charles 
with  her  daughter  Claude,  his  first  engagement. 
But,  after  her  death,  her  husband  lost  no  time  in 
marrying  Claude  to  Frangois  of  Angouleme,  the  heir 
to  the  French  throne. 

On  Trinity  Sunday,  June  11  of  this  year,  the  ill- 
fated  marriage  of  Isabelle  was  celebrated  by  proxy 
at  Brussels,  with  Christian  II  of  Denmark.  Only 
the  year  before  he  had  succeeded  to  the  throne,  but,  as 
Crown  Prince,  his  ilhcit  love-afi'air  with  the  daughter 
of  a  Bergen  inn-keeper  had  been  notorious.  A  sad 
future  awaited  his  child-wife,  who  was  only  thirteen 
at  this  time ;  but  this  was  liidden  in  the  future,  and 
the  wedding  was  a  gay  altair  in  which  Charles  played 
the  part  of  host  with  eclat.  It  was  not  until  the 
following  year  that  the  Archbishop  Eric  Valdkendorf 
was  sent  with  a  fleet  to  the  Netherlands  to  fetch  the 
bride,  and  she  had  a  stormy  voyage  to  her  new  home. 
Her  sad  story  will  be  told  hereafter.    Her  younger 


LEARNED  TUTORS  OF  CHARLES   43 

sister,  Marie,  born  in  1505,  was  already  betrothed 
to  the  young  son  of  Wladislaw  II,  King  of  Hungary 
and  Bohemia.  To  obtain  these  kingdoms  for  the 
Hapsburgs  had  always  been  the  desire  of  Maxi- 
mihan's  heart.  He  had  fought  for  them  in  vain,  but 
when  Louis  was  born  to  Wladislaw  and  his  French 
wife,  Anne  de  Candolle,  in  1506,  the  Emperor  saw 
his  way  to  secure  the  countries  by  a  double  marriage  ; 
Louis  should  marry  his  granddaughter  Marie,  and 
the  sister  of  Louis,  Anne  of  Hungary,  should  be  the 
wife  of  Ferdinand  of  Austria.  In  order  to  ensure  this 
alhance,  little  Marie  was  sent  on  a  visit  to  the  Court 
of  Hungary  in  this  year  1514  ;  a  most  perilous 
journey,  which  caused  her  aunt  great  anxiety.  How- 
ever, she  arrived  safely  without  adventure,  returning 
in  due  time,  but  her  real  marriage  did  not  take  place 
until  seven  years  later. 

A  curious  feature  of  this  period  is  the  confidence 
of  sovereigns  in  the  value  of  marriage  alhances. 
Louis  XII,  having  been  unsuccessful  in  his  last  cam- 
paign, renews  the  offer  of  his  daughter  Renee  to 
Ferdinand  the  brother  of  Charles,  who  had  been 
brought  up  in  Spain  and  was  under  the  influence 
of  his  grandfather  Ferdinand.  Marguerite  strongly 
advises  her  father  Maximihan  to  oppose  this  sugges- 
tion, imploring  him  to  remain  loyal  to  his  treaty 
with  England.  But  already  suspicions  had  arisen 
in  the  mind  of  Henry  VIII,  and  the  secret  negotia- 
tions of  France  resulted  in  the  astounding  bargain 
that  the  widowed  and  elderly  King  of  France  should 
marry  Henry's  sister,  Mary  Tudor,  a  hvely  young  girl 
of  eighteen,  the  affianced  bride  of  Charles  of  Austria. 


44  A  GKEAT  EMPEEOR 

The  whole  balance  of  power  in  Europe  was  disturbed 
by  this  alhance,  but  Louis  XII  died  within  three 
months  and  was  succeeded,  at  the  opening  of  the 
year  1515,  by  his  nephew  Frangois  I,  who  carried  on 
his  pohcy  and  his  wars  in  Italy.  This  young  King 
of  twenty-one  was  eager  to  lead  his  array  to  battle, 
and  in  September,  after  several  minor  engagements, 
he  was  fortunate  enough  to  win  the  decisive  battle 
of  Marignano,  near  Milan.  He  could  now  make  his 
own  terms,  and  Maximilian  Sforza  resigned  his  duke- 
dom and  retired  to  France  as  a  pensioner. 

In  the  spring  of  this  year,  1515,  Maximihan  held  a 
great  meeting  of  sovereigns  at  Vienna,  when  Louis, 
son  of  the  King  of  Hungary,  was  married  by  proxy 
to  Marie  of  Austria,  while  her  brother  Ferdinand 
was  betrothed  to  Anne  of  Hungary.  But  the  most 
important  event  of  this  year  for  the  Archduke 
Charles  was  his  "  emancipation,''  or  coming  of 
age.  He  was  barely  fifteen  at  this  time,  and  various 
reasons  are  given  for  this  somewhat  premature 
arrangement.  We  are  told  that  it  was  by  command 
of  the  States-General  of  the  Netherlands,  and  that  it 
took  Marguerite  unawares.  But,  on  the  other  hand, 
we  have  the  official  letter  of  Charles  to  the  President 
and  Councillors,  in  which  he  announces  the  fact,  and 
orders  that  henceforth  all  aflairs  shall  be  carried  on 
in  his  name  : 

"  Very  dear  and  well-beloved.  It  has  pleased  the 
Emperor,  my  lord  and  grandfather,  to  emancipate  us 
and  place  us  out  of  his  guardianship  and  regency, 
placing  the  government  of  our  country  and  lordships 


LEARNED  TUTORS  OF  CHARLES       45 

of  these  lands  over  here,  in  our  hands,  and  consent- 
ing that  we  be  received  and  sworn  to  the  princi- 
pahty  and  lordship  of  the  same.  .  .  /' 

He  continues  fully  to  explain  and  give  his  com- 
mands, and  adds : 

*'  Given  under  the  seal  which  the  Emperor,  my 
lord  and  grandfather,  and  we  have  used  during  the 
time  of  our  minority.  .  .  .  Written  at  Brussels,  the 
8th  day  of  January,  1515." 

We  gather  from  this  letter  that  Maximihan  had 
given  the  order,  and  it  seems  impossible  to  beUeve 
that  his  daughter,  who  was  on  such  affectionate 
terms  with  him,  should  not  have  been  told  unless 
there  was  some  underhand  court  intrigue.  It  was 
probable  that  Chievres  really  managed  the  whole 
affair,  as  he  had  always  been  very  jealous  of  the 
Regent's  authority,  and,  from  his  great  influence 
over  his  pupil,  he  now  felt  sure  of  having  the  govern- 
ment in  his  own  hands.  His  first  step  was  to  ex- 
clude her  from  the  confidence  of  her  nephew.  She  was 
at  first  refused  a  seat  in  the  Council,  and  the  Em- 
peror's letters  were  not  shown  to  her.  This  was  a 
severe  blow,  as  Marguerite  had  now  ruled  the  Nether- 
lands for  eight  years  with  much  wisdom  and  success, 
besides  spending  all  her  large  personal  income  on 
matters  of  state,  and  giving  away  most  of  her  splendid 
plate  and  jewellery  as  presents,  or  bribes,  for  pohtical 
services.  She  at  once  wrote  to  Maximihan,  sending 
a  full  statement  of  all  her  accounts,  with  a  Hst  of  the 
payments  and  gifts  she  had  made  out  of  her  private 


46  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

income.  She  also  gave  a  detailed  account  of  her 
government,  so  successful  in  all,  save  that  which 
related  to  Charles  of  Guelders,  **  who  broke  all  treaties 
and  feared  neither  God  nor  man  .  .  .  until  I  did  not 
know  what  to  do  or  provide  about  it,  nor  how  one 
could  live  with  him/' 

It  is  interesting  to  know  that  wiser  counsels  soon 
prevailed.  The  Emperor  wrote  a  most  impressive 
letter  to  his  grandson,  pointing  out  all  that  his 
devoted  aunt  had  done  for  his  service,  adding  that 
"  he  was  indeed  her  heart,  her  hope,  and  her  heir."" 
Charles  made  full  amends,  and  when  he  set  forth  on 
his  triumphal  progress  through  the  cities  of  the 
Netherlands,  he  was  accompanied  by  Marguerite 
and  she  shared  with  him  the  enthusiasm  of  his  sub- 
jects, in  these  "  entrees  joyeuses.** 

In  commemoration  of  the  young  prince's  majority, 
Pope  Leo  X  presented  him  with  the  coveted  "  Golden 
Rose  "  that  year. 


CHAPTER    V 

FIRST   VISIT    OF    CHARLES   V   TO    SPAIN — HIS    MOTHER, 

JUANA 

Death  of  Ferdinand  of  Aragon— February  23,  1516— Charles  V  pays 
his  first  visit  to  Spain,  1517 — His  eventful  voyage — Death  of 
Cardinal  Ximenes — Charles  visits  his  mother,  Queen  Juana,  at 
Tordesillas — He  befriends  his  young  sister  Catalina — The  oath  of 
allegiance  is  taken  to  Charles  and  his  mother,  in  Castile,  Aragon, 
and  Catalonia — Subsidies  are  voted  to  the  new  King — His  brother 
Ferdinana  is  sent  to  the  Netherlands — Charles  V  is  elected  "  King 
of  the  Romans  "  at  Frankfort— He  leaves  Spain  early  in  1520. 

The  death  of  King  Ferdinand  of  Aragon  on 
February  23,  1516,  entitled  Charles  to  the  prospec- 
tive crowns  of  Aragon  and  Naples,  subject,  like  that 
of  Castile,  to  his  mother's  hfe  and  capacity  to  govern. 
It  was  a  most  difficult  position  for  him,  and  the  mis- 
takes he  made  must  be  largely  attributed  to  the 
short-sighted,  grasping  Flemings  by  whom  he  was 
surrounded  and  who,  with  Chi^vres  at  their  head, 
had  obtained  such  strong  influence  over  him.  At 
the  memorial  service  to  Ferdinand  in  Brussels,  the 
herald  proclaimed  :  "  Long  hve  donna  Jehanne  and 
don  Charles,  by  the  grace  of  God,  CathoHc  Kings," 
and  the  sword  of  justice  was  presented  to  the  young 
prince.  This  premature  assumption  of  royal  rights 
gave  great  offence  in  Spain,  where  etiquette  was 
always  of  supreme  importance. 

47 


48  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

Meantime  another  blunder  had  been  made  by 
sending  the  pious  but  incapable  Adrian  of  Utrecht 
as  Governor  of  Spain,  when  Castile  had  already  been 
placed  by  Ferdinand  under  the  rule  of  the  great 
Cardinal  Ximenes,  a  patriot  and  an  experienced  poH- 
tician.  He  felt  that  his  duty  to  Spain  was  to  sup- 
port Charles,  whom  he  proclaimed  King,  subject  to 
the  rights  of  Juana,  the  "  reyna  proprietaria,"  and 
received  with  courtesy  his  envoy  Adrian.  Ximenes 
devoted  himself  with  gallant  courage,  marvellous  in 
a  man  of  eighty,  to  govern  the  troubled  realm  of 
Castile ;  he  revoked  the  wasteful  and  unconstitu- 
tional grants  from  the  royal  possessions  which  had 
been  made  by  Isabella  and  Ferdinand,  thereby 
making  himself  extremely  unpopular  with  the  nobles, 
but,  with  the  funds  obtained,  raising  an  army  which 
could  control  them.  He  was  also  able  to  carry  on 
the  war  in  Africa  against  Barbarossa  with  partial 
success,  while  he  held  Navarre  against  Fran§ois  I 
and  wisely  dismantled  the  fortresses  so  that  no 
enemy  could  hold  the  province. 

Meanwhile  Charles  delayed  his  departure  for  Spain, 
where  his  presence  was  much  needed.  We  wonder 
whether  he  thoroughly  reahzed  all  that  the  crown  of 
Aragon  would  bring  him.  It  comprised  the  king- 
dom of  Valencia,  and  the  counties  of  Barcelona, 
Cerdagne,  and  Roussillon,  all  with  separate  Cortes. 
Beyond  the  mainland  were  the  kingdoms  of  Naples 
and  Sicily,  Sardinia,  and  Majorca,  each  one  having  a 
distinct  character  and  government.  To  these  may 
be  added  the  foreign  possessions  in  Africa  and  some 
in  America.     The  nobles  in  Aragon  were  rich  and 


/;.'/  permission  of  Mons.  C.  L.  Cardan. 
ISABELLE    DE    BOURGOGNE,    SISTER    OF    CHARLES    V. 
By  Jan  Gossaert  (ilabuse). 


48] 


FIRST  VISIT  OF  CHARLES  V  TO  SPAIN    49 

independent,  holding  complete  authority  over  their 
vassals ;  they  had  not  been  kept  in  subjection  to 
the  Crown  hke  those  of  Castile.  Ximenes  was  a 
strong  and  capable  ruler,  but  his  authority  was  ques- 
tioned ;  factions  broke  out  amongst  the  nobles  and 
the  great  towns  resisted  the  payment  of  taxes,  while 
there  was  suspected  to  be  a  party  in  Spain  who 
would  try  to  secure  the  crown  for  the  younger  brother 
Ferdinand,  who  was  born  and  brought  up  in  their 
country  and  was  the  favourite  of  his  grandfather 
Ferdinand. 

With  regard  to  the  journey  to  Spain,  another  com- 
phcation  arose  a  few  months  after  the  death  of  Bang 
Ferdinand.  Maximihan  joined  with  England  in  a 
war  against  France,  which  continued  until  the  Peace 
of  Noyon,  concluded  on  August  13,  1516,  by  Charles 
and  his  minister  Chievres.  The  young  prince  was 
wilhng  to  seal  it  with  yet  another  betrothal,  this 
time  with  the  infant  daughter  of  Franyois  I.  Maxi- 
mihan had  not  been  consulted,  but  he  felt  bound  to 
ratify  the  treaty.  Yet  when  peace  with  France  had 
paved  the  way  for  travelhng  to  Spain,  it  was  still 
necessary  for  Charles  to  obtain  a  safe- conduct  from 
the  King  of  England,  and  also  to  raise  a  large  sum 
to  pay  the  necessary  expenses  of  a  voyage  in  state, 
with  a  household  of  five  hundred  people,  and  about 
three  hundred  attendants.  Probably  Chievres  felt 
more  secure  of  his  influence  over  his  master  in 
Flanders  than  in  Spain ;  in  any  case  Charles  did 
not  actually  set  sail  until  September  8,  1517,  having 
been  delayed  for  some  weeks  by  westerly  winds.  He 
was  accompanied  by  his  sister  Eleonore  and  her 
4 


50  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

attendant  ladies.  We  have  a  very  full  account  of  the 
long  and  eventful  voyage  from  a  member  of  the 
suite,  Lorenzo  Vital.'  He  describes  the  magnificent 
royal  ship  with  its  painted  sails,  the  morning  and 
evening  prayers,  the  lively  band  of  trumpets,  fifes, 
and  drums.  He  dwells  upon  the  terrible  storms,  the 
alarms  from  pirates,  the  burning  of  the  ship  which 
bore  the  royal  horses,  and  finally  the  difficulty  of 
landing  at  the  small  port  of  Tazones,  when  Charles 
and  a  few  attendants  were  rowed  in  the  night,  up 
the  estuary  to  Villa  Viciosa.  The  journey  through 
the  wild  hill  country  was  full  of  hardships ;  there 
were  only  forty  horses  for  the  whole  suite,  the  ladies 
travelled  in  ox- carts,  and  were  thankful  to  sleep  on 
straw  in  the  villages,  where  the  people  were  at  first 
alarmed  at  the  coming  of  strangers. 

Not  until  the  end  of  October  did  Charles  meet  the 
Constable  of  Castile  and  the  nobles  who  had  travelled 
to  meet  him.  Unfortunately,  Cardinal  Ximenes  was 
not  amongst  them,  for  he  was  stricken  with  deadly 
sickness,  and  passed  away  only  a  week  later,  without 
reahzing  his  earnest  hope  of  meeting  his  sovereign. 
Under  the  influence  of  Chi^vres,  Charles,  who  had 
always  felt  a  warm  regard  for  the  wise  statesman,  had 
previously  written  suggesting  his  retirement  in  cour- 
teous language  which  could  not  soften  the  blow. 
This  may  have  had  a  serious  effect  upon  him  in  his 
faihng  health,  and  we  cannot  acquit  Charles  of  in- 
gratitude in  his  thoughtless  ignorance  of  all  that  he 
owed  to  the  great  Cardinal. 

Chievres  was  now  without  a  rival,  and  absolute 

*  "Collectioa  des  voyages  des  souverains  des  Pays  Baa." 

/ 


FIEST  VISIT  OF  CHAKLES  V  TO  SPAIN    51 

master  of  Spain  and  the  Netherlands.  He  at  once 
used  his  power  in  promoting  all  his  Flemish  friends 
and  kinsmen  to  high  places  in  the  State.  His  nephew, 
the  boy-Cardinal  of  Croy,  he  made  Archbishop  of 
Toledo,  and  Jean  le  Sauvage,  already  Grand  Chan- 
cellor of  Burgundy,  he  appointed  Chancellor  of 
Castile.  Adrian  of  Utrecht  was  made  Bishop  of 
Tortosa,  and  later.  Cardinal ;  but  he  perhaps  had 
some  claim  as  the  King's  tutor. 

On  November  18  Charles  made  a  solemn  entry 
into  the  capital  of  Castile,  Valladolid,  with  a  stately 
procession.  Thirty  falconers  in  the  King's  hvery 
led  the  way,  with  birds  on  fist ;  they  were  followed 
by  the  royal  guard  of  halberds,  a  company  of  hght 
Spanish  lancers,  the  drum-and-fife  bands,  and  a  line 
of  royal  chargers  led  by  gaily  dressed  grooms.  Then 
came  the  Spanish  and  Flemish  nobles,  more  halberds 
and  heralds,  all  the  foreign  ambassadors,  and  last  the 
King  himself.  He  was  magnificent  in  a  surcoat  of 
crimson  silk  with  gold  and  silver  brocade  worn  above 
the  steel  armour,  while  he  wore  on  his  head  a  black 
velvet  cap  with  ostrich- feather  plumes,  fastened  with 
a  great  pearl  and  a  ruby.  But  Vital,  who  tells  the 
story,  was  especially  proud  of  the  King's  splendid 
horsemanship,  for  although  his  horse  pranced,  "  with 
most  of  his  legs  in  the  air,"  Charles  never  swayed  or 
lost  his  perfect  calm. 

After  this  state  entry  there  followed  a  round  of 
entertainments,  and  especially  tournaments,  in  which 
Charles  won  great  admiration,  for  he  was  at  his  best 
in  all  such  feats  of  arms.  But  this  was  only  a  brief 
interlude,  as  he  had  much  serious  work  before  him. 


52  A  GREAT  EMPEROE 

His  first  desire  was  to  visit  his  mother,  whose  sad 
condition  had  long  been  **  a  grief  and  anxiety  to  him/' 
as  he  had  written  in  a  letter  dated  April  30,  1516, 
addressed  to  Cardinal  Ximenes,  in  which  he  said  that 
"  the  most  important  thing  is  the  care  of  the  Queen, 
my  Lady,  and  I  pray  you  to  make  sure  that  she  is 
very  well  treated  and  served  in  every  way.  .  .  ."  ' 
We  have  a  very  interesting  account  of  the  meeting 
between  Juana  and  her  son  and  daughter,  Eleonore, 
when  they  went  to  visit  her  at  Tordesillas,  in  Decem- 
ber 1517.^ 

When  she  had  previously  been  told  :  "  The  King 
your  son  has  arrived  in  Spain,''  she  rephed  :  "  I 
alone  am  the  Queen,  and  my  son  Carlos  is  only 
the  prince."  When  the  royal  party  arrived  at  the 
castle  of  Tordesillas,  Chi^vres  prepared  the  way  and 
inquired  if  the  Queen  would  see  her  son  and  daughter, 
at  which  she  expressed  her  pleasure.  Eleonore 
paused  on  the  threshold  and  made  a  deep  curtsey, 
which  she  repeated  when  she  reached  the  middle  of 
the  room,  and  Charles  would  have  kissed  his  mother's 
hand,  but  she  advanced  eagerly  and  embraced  them 
both.  Then  Charles  said  :  "  Senora,  we  your  humble 
and  obedient  servants  rejoice  extremely  to  see  you, 
by  the  grace  of  God,  in  good  health,  and  we  present 
to  you  with  all  reverence,  our  honour,  respect,  and 
obedience." 

The  Queen  Juana  replied  with  a  smile  and  a  move- 
ment of  her  head.  A  moment  later,  taking  her  son 
and  daughter  by  the  hand,  she  exclaimed  with  deep 

^  Original  in  cypher  in  the  archives  of  Simancas. 
*  Dona  Juana  la  Loca,  par  R.  A.  Villa. 


FIRST  VISIT  OF  CHARLES  V  TO  SPAIN    53 

emotion :   "  Can  you  indeed  be  my  children  ?     How 
you  have  grown  in  a  short  time  !     Thanks  be  to 
God.  .  .  .  What  trouble  and  fatigue  you  must  have 
had,  my  children,  in  coming  from  so  far !  *'    Pre- 
sently she  dismissed  them  with  kind  words :    "  You 
must  be  weary,  it  is  late  .  .  .  come  and  see  me  to- 
morrow."   Whereupon    they    retired    and    Chievres 
was  left  to  explain  certain  matters.     Juana  always 
continued  to  show  much  affection  to  her  children, 
especially  to  Charles,  who  was  always  very  gentle 
and  courteous  to  her.     We  have  a  pathetic  account 
of  the  little  daughter  Catahna,  now  ten  years  old, 
who  had  been  brought  up  in  those  gloomy  surround- 
ings, having  never  left  her  mother  for  a  day.     We  are 
told  that  she  was  the  most  beautiful  of  the  children 
of  Phihppe  and  most  resembled  him,  but  must  have 
been  disfigured  by  her  loose   dress   of  coarse   serge 
with  a  white  woollen  headdress,  the  same  costume 
as  her  mother's.     She  had  no  companions  but  the 
two  old  servants  who  waited  upon  her,  and  Juana 
could  scarcely  allow  the  child  to  go  out  of  her  sight. 
Charles    was   greatly    distressed    about    his    httle 
sister's  sad  Hfe,  and  held  anxious  consultation  with 
Eleonore  as  to  how  they  could  rescue  her.    It  was 
the  more  difficult  as  Juana  was  at  times  quite  reason- 
able, but  was  Hable  to  violent  fits  of  passion,  usually 
followed  by  deep  depression.     A  plan  was  formed 
and  carried  out  some  time  later,  by  which  Catahna 
was  secretly  taken  away  at  night  and  brought  to  her 
sister's  care  in  the  palace  of  ValladoHd.    She  was 
warmly  welcomed,  and  was  the  admiration  of  all  the 
Court,   a8   she   appeared   "  clothed   in   violet   satin 


54  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

embroidered  with  gold,  wearing  the  beautiful  head- 
dress of  Castile,  her  train  held  by  a  lady  of  the 
household,''  holding  the  hand  of  Eleonore,  who  pro- 
vided for  her  every  possible  dehght.  But  the  poor 
child's  happiness  was  of  short  duration,  for  news 
soon  came  that  the  Queen  Juana  was  wild  with  grief 
at  the  loss  of  her  daughter,  and  vowed  that  she 
would  neither  eat  nor  sleep  until  she  was  found. 

The  result  was  inevitable  ;  at  the  end  of  two  days 
Charles  took  little  Catahna,  who  behaved  with  heroic 
sweetness  and  courage,  back  to  Tordesillas,  and  told 
his  mother  the  whole  story.  She  was  so  thankful 
to  have  her  child  back  that  she  was  ready  to  promise 
anything,  and  Charles  insisted  that  his  Httle  sister 
should  have  some  change  and  amusement,  that  she 
must  have  children  of  her  own  age  to  play  with  her, 
**  and  be  taken  into  the  open  country  to  enjoy  the 
pure  air  when  the  weather  was  fine."  We  see  in  the 
many  letters  preserved,  from  Catahna  to  her  royal 
brother,  how  he  watched  over  her  happiness,  and  did 
all  in  his  power  both  for  her  welfare  and  that  of  his 
mother.  Her  great  and  powerful  brother  was  her 
one  hope,  and  she  idolized  him.  But  the  young  girl 
never  left  her  gloomy  home  at  Tordesillas,  until  in 
1524,  when  she  had  reached  the  age  of  seventeen,  a 
marriage  was  arranged  for  her  with  her  cousin, 
Joao  III,  King  of  Portugal. 

In  the  private  Memoirs  of  Charles  V  we  read  that, 
"  after  seeing  his  mother  at  Tordesillas,  he  went  on 
to  Mojados,  where  he  met  Don  Ferdinand  his  brother, 
and  received  him,  showing  him  great  and  fraternal 
love.    And,  pursuing  his  journey,  His  Majesty  arrived 


FIRST  VISIT  OF  CHAKLES  V  TO  SPAIN    55 

at  ValladoHd,  where  he  convoked  the  States  of  the 
kingdom  of  Castile  and  was  proclaimed  King  jointly 
with  the  Queen  his  mother."  The  Cortes  of  Castile 
opened  on  February  2,  1518.  The  deputies  showed 
much  jealousy  of  the  Flemish  nobles ;  and  Charles 
had  to  promise  that  he  would  observe  the  customs 
and  privileges  of  the  realm,  and  promote  only 
Spaniards  to  offices  and  benefices.  He  was  crowned 
at  Valladohd,  in  the  presence  of  the  Cortes,  on 
February  7,  while  the  oath  of  allegiance  was  taken 
to  both  himself  and  his  mother.  The  Cortes  then 
granted  him  the  generous  subsidy  of  600,000  ducats. 
The  Memoirs  of  Charles  then  continue  the 
story : 

"  His  Majesty  departed  with  his  brother  from 
VaUadohd,  and  on  the  way  left  Prince  Ferdinand 
at  Aranda,  who  left  that  place  in  order  to  embark  at 
Santander,  and  pass  from  there  into  Flanders,  where 
he  was  received  by  Madame  his  aunt.  His  Majesty 
then  continued  his  journey  to  Saragossa,  where  in  the 
same  manner  the  Cortes  were  convened  and  he  was 
proclaimed  King." 

In  these  few  words  very  important  matters  are 
simamed  up.  The  people  of  Spain  were  extremely 
unwilhng  for  Ferdinand,  the  heir  presumptive,  to 
leave  the  country,  but  Charles  had  already  promised 
to  send  his  brother  to  the  Netherlands.  Also  there 
was  beheved  to  be  a  plot,  headed  by  the  Archbishop 
of  Saragossa,  a  natural  son  of  King  Ferdinand,  to 
place  the  younger  brother  on  the  throne.  His  Spanish 
grandfather  would  have  done  so  if  he  could,  and  was 


56  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

with  much  difficulty  prevented  from  bestowing  upon 
him  the  Grand-mastership  of  the  Mihtary  Orders. 
This  was  a  position  of  great  importance  which  came 
in  the  end  to  Charles.  With  regard  to  the  meeting 
with  the  Cortes  of  Aragon,  the  young  King  was 
opposed  by  the  most  obstinate  resistance,  and  it  was 
only  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  the  deputies 
were  induced  to  swear  allegiance  to  him  and  his 
mother,  after  exacting  many  conditions.  He  re- 
quired immense  patience  and  perseverance,  before 
he  could  obtain  any  subsidy,  and  when  they  made  a 
grant  of  100,000  ducats  it  was  at  once  appropriated 
by  them  to  the  payment  of  former  crown  debts. 

The  self-government  of  Aragon  appears  to  have 
been  in  a  chaotic  condition.  The  historian  Peter 
Martyr  of  Angheria  says  of  the  nobles  that  "  their 
fortresses  were  the  caves  of  robbers  and  the  sanc- 
tuaries of  evil-doers,"  while  another  authority  de- 
clared that  "  robbery  and  murder  went  unpunished, 
for  the  great  lords  had  gained  their  possessions  by 
robbery."  A  just  government  was  the  last  thing 
they  wanted.  It  was  while  he  was  at  Saragossa  that 
the  young  King  made  full  amends  to  his  Aunt  Mar- 
guerite, by  once  more  appointing  her  to  be  Regent 
of  the  Netherlands,  by  formal  deed  on  August  18, 
1518.  This  gave  great  satisfaction  to  the  Emperor, 
who  sent  congratulations  to  his  daughter  in  one  of 
the  last  letters  he  ever  wrote  to  her.  He  was  in 
faihng  health,  but  all  his  energies  were  centred  on 
the  supreme  effort  to  secure  the  succession  to  the 
Empire  for  his  grandson  Charles.  He  had  already 
obtained   the  promises   of  the  Electors   of   Mainz, 


FIRST  VISIT  OF  CHARLES  V  TO  SPAIN    57 

Cologne,  Brandenburg,  Bohemia,  and  the  Palatinate, 
but  these  were  only  secured  by  the  promise  of  im- 
mense bribes,  which  would  have  to  be  paid  later  by 
resources  from  Spain.  We  see  how  important  it  was 
for  Charles  to  obtain  large  subsidies. 

From  Saragossa  he  travelled  on  to  Barcelona,  the 
chief  town  of  Catalonia,  and  here  he  had  still  more 
difficulties  with  the  Cortes,  and  was  kept  waiting  for 
months.  A  tumult  broke  out  on  rehgious  grounds, 
and  an  attack  of  plague  carried  off  some  of  the 
Flemish  nobles.  Besides  these,  the  Chancellor  Jean 
le  Sauvage,  died,  and  Charles  had  the  good  fortune  to 
replace  him  by  Mercurino  Gattinara,  a  man  of  talent 
and  high  principles,  who  knew  Spain  thoroughly, 
was  very  capable  and  popular,  and  proved  the  best 
minister  the  young  King  ever  had.  The  new  year 
had  arrived  before  Charles  was  at  length  proclaimed 
King,  and  was  voted  a  grant  of  money.  Meantime, 
on  January  12,  1519,  Maximihan  had  passed  away, 
in  the  confident  hope  that  his  grandson  would  be 
elected  "  King  of  the  Romans  "  ;  yet,  notwithstanding 
the  enormous  sum  spent  or  promised,  nearly  6,000 
gulden,  this  was  by  no  means  a  certainty.  Fran§ois  I, 
the  rival  candidate,  had  come  into  the  field  with  high 
expectations  on  account  of  his  superior  wealth  and 
the  support  of  the  Pope.  On  receiving  the  news  of 
Maximihan's  death,  it  was  natural  that  Charles 
should  wish  to  return  as  soon  as  possible  to  Germany 
to  carry  on  the  struggle.  He  should  have  gone  on 
to  Valencia,  but  he  gave  great  offence  to  the  jealous 
little  kingdom  by  sending  his  deputy  Adrian,  now 
Bishop  of  Tortosa,  to  hold  the  Cortes.     Yet,  with  all 


58  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

his  impatience,  the  young  King  found  himself  obhged 
to  delay  his  departure  for  many  months. 

Meantime  his  cause,  in  pursuit  of  the  imperial 
dignity,  was  supported  mth  splendid  enthusiasm  by 
liis  Aunt  Marguerite,  as  we  learn  from  her  letters  and 
expenses  at  this  time  ;  and  fortunately,  those  great 
bankers,  the  Fuggers,  came  forward  generously  with 
a  loan  of  500,000  florins.  Charles  himself  wrote  end- 
less letters  to  the  Electors,  the  bishops,  the  Swabian 
League — every  one  who  might  help,  even  the  King 
of  England  and  the  Pope,  who  at  last  withdrew  his 
opposition.  The  popular  voice  in  Germany  decided 
for  the  grandson  of  Maximilian,  and  he  was  elected 
at  Frankfort  on  June  28,  1519,  as  "  King  of  the 
Romans,"  liis  formal  title,  until  the  papal  corona- 
tion should  give  him  that  of  "  Romanorum  Im- 
perator."  The  news  of  his  election  was  received 
with  dismay  in  Spain,  which  it  was  feared  would  sink 
into  a  mere  province  of  the  Empire,  and  be  ruled 
"  from  the  icy  ocean  of  the  north." 

In  his  farewell  progress  through  Spain,  Charles 
had  been  well  received  at  Burgos,  but  when  he 
reached  Valladohd  he  found  the  people  in  a  state 
closely  resembhng  rebelhon ;  one  day  the  great  bell 
called  the  populace  to  arms,  and  it  was  with  diffi- 
culty that  his  escort  made  a  way  for  their  King 
through  an  angry  mob.  He  had  given  offence  by 
issuing  writs  for  the  Cortes  to  meet  at  Santiago  in 
Gahcia,  a  distant,  unconsidered  province  ;  but  he  at 
length  opened  the  assembly  there  on  March  30, 1520. 
Castile  had  already  voted  him  a  hberal  subsidy  for 
three  years,  and  now  his  great  anxiety  was  to  have 


FIEST  VISIT  OF  CHARLES  V  TO  SPAIN    59 

a  definite  vote  for  its  continuance  during  another 
three  years,  in  order  that  the  tax  might  be  steadily 
levied  during  his  absence  from  Spain.  But  the 
deputies  had  come  prepared  to  make  trouble,  and 
they  were  not  moved  by  the  conciliatory  speech  of 
the  Bishop  of  Badajos,  President  of  the  Cortes.  In 
vain  he  pointed  out  the  great  importance  of  Charles's 
election  to  the  Empire  which  would  make  him  the 
bulwark  of  Christendom  against  the  infidel  and  the 
highest  power  in  the  world.  He  promised  that  the 
coasts  should  be  well  defended,  the  army  well  paid, 
and  justice  should  be  secure.  Within  three  years 
their  King  would  return  and  Castile  should  be  **  the 
fortress  of  his  defence,  his  sword,  his  dehght,  and 
the  garden  of  his  pleasure."  Charles  added  a  few 
words  in  Spanish — with  which  he  was  not  very 
famihar — to  confirm  the  President's  words,  and  to 
add  the  promise  that  he  would  not  bestow  office  on 
any  but  those  of  Spanish  birth. 

As  he  could  obtain  no  definite  reply  to  his  demand 
for  the  continuance  of  the  subsidy,  the  meeting  was 
put  ofi  until  April  22,  when  the  Cortes  were  to  meet 
at  Corunna,  the  port  from  which  Charles  was  about 
to  embark.  Here  at  length  the  desired  promise  was 
given,  after  much  discussion,  on  condition  that  the 
eighty-eight  petitions  should  be  granted.  His  vic- 
tory was  dearly  bought,  for  it  was  in  reality  a  poli- 
tical failure.  Valencia  was  in  a  state  of  social  war, 
while  Toledo  and  Salamanca  were  on  the  verge  of 
rebellion.  The  final  step  of  the  King  in  appointing 
Adrian  Bishop  of  Tortosa  as  Viceroy,  with  unhmited 
powers,  was  looked  upon  as  a  crowning  insult.    The 


60  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

only  redeeming  act  had  been  the  appointment  of  a 
Spanish  general  in  command  of  the  army. 

Now  that  the  subsidy  was  obtained,  Charles  set 
sail  for  Flanders  as  soon  as  the  north  wind  suffered 
him  to  do  so.  His  two  years  and  five  months  in 
Spain  had  been  full  of  mistakes,  for  which  he  would 
have  to  pay  dearly,  but  the  whole  blame  cannot  rest 
upon  him,  or  even  upon  his  grasping  Flemish  advisers, 
for  the  seed  of  revolt  had  long  been  sown,  in  the  fierce 
hostihty  of  the  nobles  to  the  growing  power  of  the 
prosperous  towns.  The  imminent  danger  was  that 
they  might  unite  against  the  government  of  the 
young  King  and  so  set  ahght  the  fire  of  a  destructive 
civil  war. 


CHAPTER    VI 

CHARLES  V  IN  GERMANY — DIET  OP  WORMS 

Charles  V  travels  through  England  and  later  makes  a  treaty  with 
Henry  VIII  at  Gravelines — His  coronation  at  Aix-la-Chapelle — 
Diet  of  Worms — Meeting  between  Charles  and  Luther — No  com- 
promise possible  between  the  Emperor  and  the  Reformer — 
Progress  of  the  Reformation  in  Germany — Rebelhon  in  Spain — 
The  rebels  seize  Tordesillas  and  Queen  Juana — Charles  enlists 
the  help  of  the  Spanish  nobles — Success  of  the  royal  cause  at  the 
battle  of  Villalar — War  with  Frangois  I — Death  of  Leo  X  and 
election  of  Pope  Adrian  VI. 

Since  his  election  to  the  Empire,  Charles  felt  more 
strongly  than  ever  the  importance  of  a  firm  alhance 
with  England.  On  his  way  back  from  Spain  he 
landed  at  Dover  on  May  26,  1520,  and  was  welcomed 
by  Henry  VIII,  who  rode  to  Canterbury  with  him 
the  next  day,  and  on  Whitsunday  attended  service 
in  the  cathedral.  He  was  warmly  received  by  his 
aunt,  Katharine  of  Aragon,  at  this  their  first  meeting 
to  which  she  had  eagerly  looked  forward.  He  appears 
to  have  made  an  excellent  impression  on  the  Enghsh 
people,  by  the  simphcity  of  liis  dress  and  the  courtesy 
of  his  manner.  But  his  visit  was  brief,  for  Henry  VIII 
was  on  the  point  of  crossing  to  Calais  to  meet  Frangois 
I  at  the  Field  of  the  Cloth  of  Gold,  while  on  the  same 
day  Charles  set  forth  from  Sandwich  for  Flanders ; 
but  they  settled  to  meet  later  at  Gravelines. 

The   pompous    and    showy   setting    of   mediaeval 

61 


62  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

splendour,  in  the  English  and  French  meeting  be- 
tween the  two  frontiers  in  June  1520  appears  to 
have  had  less  real  influence  upon  Henry  VIII  than 
his  later  conference  at  Gravehnes  with  the  young 
King  of  Spain,  which  took  place  on  July  14.  Here 
a  secret  alhance  was  made  between  the  Enghsh  King 
and  his  nephew,  to  which  the  minister  Wolsey 
greatly  contributed,  and  from  this  time  forth  he 
proved  a  faithful  ally  to  Charles,  as  we  learn  from 
the  numerous  and  confidential  letters  which  passed 
between  them.  But  this  was  only  one  of  the  many 
important  events  of  this  year.  It  was  already  twelve 
months  since  the  grandson  of  Maximihan  had  been 
elected  Emperor,  but  his  delay  in  leaving  Spain  and 
other  causes  deferred  his  formal  coronation  until 
October  1520.  This  took  place  at  Aix-la-Chapelle, 
where  he  was  supported  by  a  splendid  suite  of  Ger- 
man princes  and  nobles,  while  the  cathedral  was 
thronged  with  an  enthusiastic  crowd.  Before  the 
high  altar  the  young  prince  took  the  usual  oaths, 
was  crowned  with  the  golden  diadem  of  Charlemagne, 
girt  with  his  sword  and  other  insignia,  seated  on  his 
throne,  and  duly  proclaimed  Roman  Emperor  Elect. 
His  first  duty  was  to  summon  the  Estates  in 
November,  to  meet  him  at  that  memorable  Diet  of 
Worms,  where  for  the  first  and  only  time,  as  Emperor 
and  champion  of  the  Church,  he  was  to  meet  the  arch- 
heretic,  Lutlier,  who  was  already  recognized  as  a 
power  of  great  but  unknown  significance.  A  mighty 
task  was  before  him  which  would  have  taxed  the 
strength  of  a  wise  and  experienced  ruler,  for  it  was 
nothing  less  than  the  problem  of  reconcihng  a  new 


CHARLES  V  IN  GERMANY  63 

political  rule  with  the  ancient  behefs  of  Germany, 
in  a  time  when  storms  were  brewing  on  every  side. 
The  nuncio  sent  by  Leo  X  to  support  Charles  in  his 
condemnation  of  Luther  was  Girolamo  Aleander,  a 
scholar  and  a  man  of  broad  intelligence,  who  was 
well  aware  of  the  mistakes  of  the  Church,  but  was 
sternly  set  against  what  seemed  to  him  the  begin- 
ning of  rehgious  anarchy. 

Now,  at  this  point,  it  is  interesting  to  remark  the 
impression  made  by  the  young  ruler  of  twenty  upon 
a  shrewd  man  of  the  world.  Common  repute  had 
prepared  him  to  find  a  dull,  reserved  youth,  in- 
capable of  any  initiative,  and  entirely-guided  by  his 
Flemish  counsellors.  But  a  surprise  was  in  store 
for  the  papal  legate,  who,  after  a  long  private  audi- 
ence, wrote  thus  to  the  Pope  :  "  They  may  say  what 
they  please,  but  it  seems  to  me  that  this  prince  is 
gifted  with  good  sense  and  prudence,  far  beyond  his 
years ;  and  indeed  he  has,  I  beheve,  much  more  in 
his  head  than  appears  on  his  face.'* 

This  first  solemn  Diet  of  the  Empire  was  indeed 
a  critical  adventure  for  the  young  monarch,  who  was 
called  upon  to  assert  his  position  before  all  the 
united  power  and  prejudice  of  Germany.  There 
were  many  burning  questions  facing  him,  but  none 
was  of  more  immediate  urgency  than  the  growing 
strength  of  the  reforming  temper.  His  own  ambas- 
sador, Juan  Manuel,  had  written  to  him  from  Rome  : 
*'  Let  His  Majesty  pay  more  attention  to  a  little  monk 
named  Luther.'"  On  every  side  Charles  was  advised 
to  adopt  a  pohcy  of  concihation,  and  even  to  pay 
court  to  the  arch-heretic,  whose  influence  was  widely 


64  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

spreading  over  the  Empire.  Many  nobles,  although 
not  professed  Lutherans,  were  ready  to  defend  him, 
and  amongst  the  most  powerful  were  Frederick  of 
Saxony,  who  looked  upon  Luther  as  the  pride  of  his 
university,  and  the  Elector  Palatine,  who  was  said 
"  to  roar  like  ten  bulls  "  in  his  cause ;  while  many 
of  the  younger  princes  were  supposed  to  agree  with 
the  new  doctrines  of  revolt. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Pope  was  using  all  his  in- 
fluence to  obtain  the  condemnation  of  Luther  un- 
heard. But  Charles  had  too  strong  a  sense  of  justice 
to  consent  to  this,  and  he  sent  a  courteous  summons 
with  a  safe-conduct  to  the  rebelhous  monk  to  appear 
before  the  Diet,  and  defend  his  doctrines.  On  his 
arrival  at  Worms,  Luther  was  welcomed  with  en- 
thusiasm by  the  people,  and  made  his  appearance  in 
the  great  Council-chamber  on  April  16.  On  thia 
first  day  the  famous  reformer  does  not  appear  to 
have  shown  his  usual  courage  and  eloquence.  When 
questioned  concerning  his  books,  he  owned  that 
they  were  written  by  him,  but  when  he  was  asked 
whether  he  would  maintain  or  retract  the  doctrines 
already  condemned  by  the  Pope,  he  begged  for  time 
to  consider  his  answer.  His  friends  were  surprised 
and  disappointed  at  this  unusual  behaviour  on  his 
part,  but  the  next  day,  when  again  summoned  to 
the  audience,  he  made  full  amends. 

Luther  was  himself  again  :  he  declared  that  his 
conscience  would  not  permit  him  to  retract  any  of 
his  doctrines  concerning  the  Christian  faith ;  he 
boldly  dwelt  upon  the  mistakes  and  shortcomings 
of  the  Pope,  and  fiercely  denied  the  authority  of 


CHAKLES  V  IN  GERMANY  65 

Councils,  the  right  to  sell  indulgences,  and  other 
matters.  Twice  he  was  interrupted  by  the  Emperor 
when  he  used  strong  language,  but,  nothing  daunted, 
he  knew  that  his  words  had  struck  home,  and  he  left 
the  great  hall  with  the  gesture  of  a  pikeman  who  had 
dealt  his  blow.  Thus  did  he  launch  forth  his  mighty 
challenge  to  Church  and  Empire  in  this  crucial 
moment  of  his  highest  attainment. 

But  the  last  word  in  this  stirring  history  had  not 
yet  been  said.  It  was  on  the  following  day  that  the 
young  Emperor  made  his  great  reply  as  the  loyal  and 
gallant  champion  of  that  ancient  Church  of  his 
fathers,  which  to  him  was  truth  undoubted,  and  of 
which  he  remained  a  faithful  son  unto  his  dying  day. 
He  had  asked  for  no  advice,  he  would  listen  to  no 
compromise.  He  declared  that  his  predecessors,  the 
Christian  Emperors,  the  Austrian  Archdukes,  the 
Dukes  of  Burgundy,  had  all  fought  until  death  for 
the  CathoHc  Church,  in  which  he  too  would  Hve  and 
die.  ..."  A  single  monk,  trusting  to  his  private 
judgment,  has  opposed  the  faith  held  by  all  Christians 
for  a  thousand  years  and  more.  ...  I  am  resolved 
to  defend  this  holy  cause  with  all  my  dominions,  my 
friends,  my  body  and  my  blood,  my  hfe  and  my 
soul.  .  .  ."  He  added  that,  after  Luther's  reply 
yesterday,  he  had  resolved  never  to  hear  him  again  ; 
he  should  be  forbidden  to  preach  his  evil  doctrines 
and  incite  men  to  rebelhon.  He  ended  by  warning 
the  Estates  to  bear  witness  to  their  faith,  as  good 
Christians,  and  act  according  to  their  vows. 

His  hearers  were  deeply  impressed,  but  fchey  pleaded 
for  delay  and  further  negotiations  with  Luther.  A 
5 


66  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

commission  of  eight  was  chosen  to  persuade  him  to 
some  compromise,  but  all  was  in  vain ;  the  great 
reformer  would  make  no  concession  against  the  dic- 
tates of  his  conscience,  and  was  ready  to  lay  down 
his  Hfe  rather  than  yield  one  point  in  his  high  ideal 
of  Christian  hberty  and  justification  by  faith.  Per- 
suasion and  argument  of  every  kind  having  failed, 
Luther  was  dismissed  from  Worms  on  April  25,  and 
on  its  last  day  the  Diet  approved,  without  a  dis- 
sentient voice,  of  the  Edict  which  placed  Martin 
Luther  under  the  ban  of  the  Empire.  For  the 
moment  Charles  had  scored  a  victory,  but  nothing 
could  stay  the  mighty  overwhelming  flood  of  the 
Reformation,  against  which  his  hfe  was  to  be  one 
unceasing  struggle.  The  two  opponents — both  sin- 
cere and  devoted,  and  each  one  in  deadly  earnest  for 
the  faith  which  he  upheld — 'Were  never  to  meet  again. 
But  this  dramatic  episode  must  not  distract  our 
attention  from  the  other  important  work  of  the 
Diet.  If  the  heresy  of  Luther  was  condemned,  a 
strong  indictment  was  also  brought  against  the 
abuses  of  the  Roman  Cathohc  Church,  in  which  all 
classes  joined.  The  vital  question  of  the  Council  of 
Regency  was  the  subject  of  prolonged  and  heated  dis- 
cussion. The  form  of  government  which  the  electors 
at  first  demanded  would  have  excluded  the  Emperor 
from  any  greater  share  in  the  control  of  the  Empire 
than  any  other  member  of  the  Council.  But  Charles 
showed  unexpected  insight  into  the  poHtical  ques- 
tion, and,  with  the  support  of  Maximihan's  experi- 
enced advisers  in  former  contests,  he  secured  an 
important  and  decided  advantage  in  the  compromise 


CHARLES  V  IN  GERMANY  67 

at  last  agreed  upon.  The  Council  was  left  with 
independent  authority  only  during  the  absence  of 
Charles,  and  in  all  ordinary  business  ;  in  his  presence 
its  chief  function  was  to  assist  him  with  advice,  while, 
on  the  other  hand,  no  alHances  were  to  be  made  on 
behalf  of  the  Empire  without  the  consent  of  the 
Estates.  The  Emperor  was  to  choose  the  President 
and  four  other  members  out  of  the  whole  number  of 
twenty-two.  The  Court  of  Justice  was  also  recon- 
stituted, and  was  to  sit  permanently  under  the 
control  of  the  Council  in  the  absence  of  the  Emperor, 
who  chose  four  out  of  the  eighteen  members,  and 
also  with  the  help  of  the  Estates  selected  the  Presi- 
dent and  two  members  from  the  nobles. 

Charles  was  now  his  own  master,  for  after  the 
death  of  Chievres,  in  this  eventful  year,  he  never 
allowed  any  minister  to  rule  him.  One  of  his  first 
assertions  of  authority  was  to  place  his  brother 
Ferdinand  in  an  independent  position  by  giving  him 
the  five  Austrian  duchies :  Austria,  Carinthia, 
Carniola,  Styria,  and  the  Tyrol.  Later  he  added  to 
these  part  of  Swabia,  Alsace,  and  Wiirttemberg.  This 
arrangement  was  the  more  desirable  as  the  young 
prince  was  about  to  carry  out  the  marriage  already 
planned  in  1516,  with  Anne  the  sister  of  Louis  II 
King  of  Hungary.  It  was  to  be  a  double  alliance,  as 
King  Louis  married  the  Archduchess  Marie,  perhaps 
the  most  talented  of  all  the  sisters  of  Charles,  whose 
happy  wedded  Hfe  was  to  come  before  long  to  so 
tragic  an  end. 

Charles  had  now  been  absent  for  more  than  a 
year  from  his  kingdom  of  Spain,  which  he  had  left  oo 


68  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

the  point  of  rebellion  and  where  civil  war  had  been 
raging  since  his  departure.  Serious  risings  had 
taken  place  in  Segovia,  in  Burgos,  and  other  impor- 
tant cities,  all  through  the  very  heart  of  Castile. 
The  Regent,  Adrian  of  Tortosa,  was  unfitted  to  face 
such  troubles ;  he  had  but  a  small  army,  and  no 
money,  besides  being  in  every  way  incapable  of  a 
task  which  would  have  needed  the  courage  and 
energy  of  a  Ximenes.  The  good  bishop  wrote  pitiful 
letters  to  the  young  King,  in  which  he  was  not  spar- 
ing of  blame  as  well  as  of  complaint ;  but  Charles 
does  not  seem  to  have  been  fully  roused  to  the 
gravity  of  the  situation  until  news  arrived  that  the 
rebels,  under  Padilla,  had  taken  Tordesillas  and  that 
Queen  Juana  was  in  their  power. 

We  have  a  very  full  and  interesting  account  of 
her  behaviour  in  this  crisis.  The  coming  of  the 
rebels  was  announced  by  the  firing  of  cannons  and 
the  blaring  of  trumpets.  Padilla  and  the  members  of 
the  Junta  asked  for  an  audience,  to  pay  their  alle- 
giance, and  she  received  them  with  much  dignity,  but 
resolutely  refused  to  sign  the  papers  they  presented 
to  her.  In  vain  they  used  threats  and  persuasion, 
and  this  obstinacy  or  resolution  on  her  part  upset 
their  plans,  and  prevented  them  from  making  the 
rebelhon  an  excuse  for  ruhng  under  her  name.  At 
this  time,  August  29,  1520,  all  seemed  in  the  power 
of  the  League,  and  Adrian  wrote  to  Charles  in  despair 
that  all  was  lost. 

But  Charles  would  make  no  terms  with  the  rebels, 
and  by  a  stroke  of  wise  pohcy  he  saved  the  situation. 
It  was  a  fortunate  inspiration  to  throw  himself  upon 


CHARLES  V  IN  GERIVIANY  69 

the  loyalty  of  the  great  nobles,  and  to  appoint  their 
nominal  leaders,  the  Admiral  of  Castile  and  the  High 
Constable,  to  share  the  Regency  with  Adrian.  He 
put  entire  trust  in  them,  gave  them  power  to  summon 
the  Cortes  if  necessary,  but  they  were  to  make  no 
concessions.  He  also  appealed  to  many  of  the  chief 
nobles,  rousing  their  chivalry  on  behalf  of  their 
sovereign.  The  result  was  most  successful,  for  the 
war  against  the  King  now  became  a  war  between 
the  nobles  and  the  commons.  Charles  may  well 
have  felt  that  this  lightened  his  burden  and  responsi- 
bihty,  but  the  nobles  had  no  easy  task  before  them, 
as  the  struggle  now  becaiiie  a  social  war,  ahke  in 
town  and  country.  In  many  places  the  peasants 
rose  in  arms  against  their  feudal  lords,  whose  city 
palaces  were  at  the  same  time  pillaged  by  the  bands 
of  the  Communes.  Moreover,  there  was  division  in 
the  royal  camp  ;  the  Admiral  was  disposed  for  com- 
promise, while  the  Constable  keenly  supported  fight- 
ing to  the  last.  Yet  even  this  eager  warrior  saw 
that  concessions  were  inevitable ;  abuses  must  be 
remedied,  subsidies  must  be  reduced,  offices  of 
Church  and  State  must  be  given  only  to  Spaniards, 
precious  metals  must  not  be  exported,  and  an  amnesty 
must  be  granted  to  those  who  surrendered. 

The  Constable  was  much  aggrieved  that  the  Em- 
peror should  give  no  help  of  any  kind,  and  he  wrote 
early  in  November  1520  :  "  I  am  amazed  that  your 
Highness  pays  but  httle  attention  to  the  interest 
and  quieting  of  our  kingdoms,  for  your  Majesty  has 
sent  me  no  aid  either  in  the  way  of  money,  soldiers, 
or  guns,  nor  even  encouragement  by  writing."    Yet, 


70  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

in  spite  of  their  King's  inaction,  the  princes  and 
knights  showed  splendid  courage  and  abihty  in 
fighting  for  his  cause.  There  were  many  strange 
episodes  in  this  war.  To  mention  only  one  :  the 
republican  Bishop  of  Zamora,  Antonio  de  Acuiia, 
having  fought  on  the  side  of  the  rebels  at  Valladohd, 
led  his  troops  towards  Toledo,  where  there  was  a 
vacancy  in  the  see,  the  young  Flemish  archbishop, 
Guillaume  de  Croy,  having  recently  died. 

On  Good  Friday,  1521,  Acuiia  entered  the  cathedral 
alone,  was  recognized  and  borne  in  triumph  by  the 
assembled  people  up  the  nave,  seated  on  the  raised 
throne,  and  proclaimed  archbishop  with  enthusiasm. 
Acuiia  beheved  the  Primacy  to  be  within  his  reach, 
for  he  had  much  influence  at  Rome  ;  but  he  could 
scarcely  consider  this  a  legal  election.  The  Prior 
Zuniga  was  a  royahst,  and  the  canons,  although 
threatened  with  starvation,  refused  to  ratify  this 
outrageous  appointment.  Outside  the  walls  a  fierce 
conflict  was  waged  between  the  forces  of  bishop  and 
prior,  who  met  with  success  in  the  end,  and  Acuna 
never  became  Primate  of  Castile. 

Padilla  had  proved  himself  a  soldier  of  energy  and 
success  for  the  moment  of  battle,  but  he  was  no 
strategist;  and,  having  sufiered  the  royahst  forces 
to  combine,  he  lost  the  critical  moment  when  he 
could  have  defeated  them  separately.  He  was  mak- 
ing for  the  west,  with  his  pikemen  and  gunners 
pressing  through  a  blizzard  of  rain  on  muddy  roads, 
when  his  infantry  was  overtaken  by  a  spirited  dash 
of  the  nobles'  cavalry,  and,  in  the  skirmish  which 
followed,  was  hopelessly  defeated  and  dispersed  in 


CHARLES  V  IN  GERMANY  71 

flight.  The  leaders  were  executed  and  this  was 
practically  the  end  of  the  war,  although  Padilla's 
widow  and  the  fighting  Bishop  of  Zamora  held  out 
at  Toledo  for  some  months  longer. 

The  news  of  the  Battle  of  Villalar,  as  it  was  called, 
reached  Charles  as  he  was  travelhng  from  the  famous 
Diet  of  Worms  to  Brussels.  But  not  for  this  would 
he  change  his  plans ;  he  always  hked  to  finish  one 
thing  at  a  time,  and  there  was  much  to  settle  and 
arrange  in  the  Netherlands,  where  he  remained 
during  the  next  twelve  months.  By  an  arrangement 
with  his  Aunt  Marguerite,  Charles  exchanged  all  the 
lands  which  she  had  inherited  from  Maximihan  for 
a  sum  of  200,000  florins  of  gold,  and  he  gave  her 
the  city  and  territory  of  Mahnes  to  enjoy  during  her 
hfe.  The  Princess  was  able  to  do  good  service  to 
her  nephew  by  her  eloquent  appeal  to  the  Estates 
for  a  large  subsidy  when  they  met  at  Mons  in  the 
spring  of  1521.  Charles  was  always  poor,  always 
in  need  of  money,  and  never  more  so  than  at  this 
time,  in  the  strife  and  rivalry  which  had  already 
begun  with  Frangois  I.  Not  content  with  encourag- 
ing the  border  raids  of  Robert  de  la  Marck  in  the 
Southern  Netherlands  and  those  of  Charles  of  Guel- 
ders  in  the  north,  France  was  giving  help  to  Henri 
d'Albret  in  his  invasion  of  Navarre ;  but  so  anxious 
was  the  Emperor  for  peace  that  war  was  not  declared 
until  the  enemy  had  crossed  the  Pyrenees. 

Charles  had  a  narrow  escape  at  Valenciennes,  and 
Bayard  took  Mezieres ;  but  the  success  of  the  Imperial 
troops  in  Lombardy  and  the  taking  of  Milan  in 
November — ■  while  two  days  later  Tournay  surren- 


72  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

dered — ^more  than  made  amends  for  other  losses. 
The  sudden  death  of  Pope  Leo  X,  December  1,  1521, 
in  the  hour  of  triumph  when  Parma  and  Piacenza 
had  been  won  by  the  Church,  seemed  to  be  a  blow 
to  the  imperial  cause.     Much  would  depend  on  the 
choice  of  his  successor,  and  there  is  strong  evidence 
in  the  letters  of  Charles  that  he  sought  to  obtain 
the  election  of  Wolsey.     But  the  Enghsh  Cardinal 
had  no  serious  chance,  and  the  world  was  astounded 
when,  after  a  conclave  of  fourteen  days,  it  was  pro- 
claimed that  Adrian  of  Utrecht,  Bishop  of  Tortosa, 
had  been  elected  to  the  papal  throne.     It  appears 
that  after  ten  "  scrutinies,"  when  no  progress  was 
made  in  the  conclave,  some  friend  of  the  Emperor 
proposed  Adrian,  and,  the  feehng  gaining  ground 
that  important  secret  influence  was  at  work,  twenty- 
six  votes — ^the  requisite   two-thirds — were  declared 
for  this  almost  unknown  foreign  cardinal.    In  writ- 
ing to  the  Emperor,  the  new  Pope  says :    "  I  am 
more  than  certain  of  the  joy  that  you  have  in  my 
election,  but  I  know  that  it  was  not  suitable  that 
you  should  sohcit  for  me,  as  it  would  have  broken 
your  friendship   with  Wolsey,   who  of   all  is  most 
necessary  to  the  affairs  of  Italy.  ..." 

The  good  bishop,  who  was  still  acting  in  Spain  as 
the  Emperor's  Regent,  proved  to  be  of  very  httle 
service  to  his  old  pupil  and  friend ;  a  dull  man  with 
the  best  intentions,  he  was  still  more  unpopular  in 
Rome  than  he  had  been  in  Castile,  and,  taking  no 
interest  in  mere  secular  pohtics,  he  devoted  himself 
to  the  thankless  task  of  purifying  the  Church,  and 
raising  another  crusade  against  the  Turks. 


CHAPTER   VII 

CHARLES  V  AND  HIS  COLONIES — CONQUEST  OF  MEXICO 

Charles  returns  to  Spain,  1522 — His  sympathy  with  Las  Casas,  the 
champion  and  "  Apostle  of  the  Indians  " — Review  of  the  colonies 
already  discovered  and  in  part  colonized  in  America — The  story 
of  the  conquest  of  Mexico,  told  by  Bernal  Diaz  and  others,  and 
in  the  letters  of  Cortes  to  the  Emperor — Invincible  courage  and 
perseverance  of  Cortes  and  his  companions  in  their  journey,  and 
in  their  desperate  attacks  on  the  Lake  City — Crowned  with 
success  when  the  rich  Empire  of  Montezuma  is  added  to  the 
crown  of  Castile. 

It  was  not  until  May  26,  1522,  that  Charles  left 
Calais  on  his  way  to  Dover,  exactly  two  years  since 
his  last  visit.  He  was  received  with  eager  hospi- 
tahty  and  entertained  with  feasts  and  tournaments 
at  Greenwich,  in  London,  and  at  Windsor,  where 
he  signed  a  treaty  on  June  19,  by  which  he  and 
Henry  VIII  bound  themselves  to  make  war  upon 
France,  Charles  engaged  to  marry  the  Princess 
Mary,  and  obtained  a  loan  of  50,000  crowns.  In  a 
letter  to  his  Aunt  Marguerite  he  remarks  that  "  his 
six  weeks  in  England  had  seemed  hke  a  thousand 
years,"  so  anxious  was  he  to  return  to  Spain.  He 
reached  the  port  of  Santander  early  in  July,  with  a 
strong  foreign  guard,  and  writes  that  he  "  was  re- 
ceived with  much  humihty  and  reverence." 
Charles  was  no  longer  the  silent,  reserved  youth, 

73 


74  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

passive  under  the  rule  of  liis  tutor  Chi^vres,  who  had 
chosen  "  Nondum  "  for  his  motto,  to  be  changed 
later  into  "  Plus  Ultra/'  In  those  two  years  of 
absence  he  seemed  to  have  attained  his  full  maturity 
of  judgment  and  decision,  so  that  henceforth  he 
never  suffered  anv  minister  to  rule  him,  and  he 
showed  tact  and  ability  in  his  choice  of  advisers 
whom  he  trusted,  and  was  never  betrayed.  He  was 
not  so  genial  or  popular  as  his  grandfather,  Maxi- 
milian, whom  he  far  excelled  in  the  unwearied  perse- 
verance with  which  he  steadily  followed  out  any 
course  of  action  on  which  he  had  once  decided. 
Thus  it  was  that  in  time  he  learnt  to  understand  his 
Spanish  subjects,  and  won  their  respect  as  a  firm 
champion  of  his  faith,  a  kind  master,  a  just  ruler, 
and  a  lover  of  peace.  But  it  is  as  yet  too  early  in 
the  history  of  Charles  to  form  a  complete  estimate 
of  his  character,  which  strengthened  in  force  and 
energy  ^\ith  the  passmg  years. 

An  event  of  deep  interest  to  Charles  on  his  return 
to  Spain  in  1522  was  the  arrival  of  the  Victoria 
with  survivors  from  the  ill-fated  squadron  of  the 
famous  Magellan,  who,  after  discovering  the  Straits 
which  bear  his  name,  and  later  the  Ladrones  and 
the  Philippine  Islands,  had  given  his  life  in  fighting 
for  his  country's  dominion.  The  young  Emperor 
lost  no  time  in  showing  his  appreciation  of  such 
heroism  by  generously  rewarding  the  leader,  Sebas- 
tiano  del  Piombo,  and  the  gallant  crew  which  had 
brought  home  the  battered  Victoria.  Charles  had 
been  especially  concerned  in  the  discoveries  of 
Magellan,  for  he  had  warmly  favoured  the  cause  of 


CHARLES  V  AND  HIS  COLONIES       75 

this  Portuguese  sailor,  at  the  very  time  of  his  corona- 
tion at  Valladolid,  in  November  1517.  Fortunately, 
his  Flemish  advisers  agreed  with  him  as  to  the  im- 
portance of  his  colonies,  so  that  the  arrangements 
were  carried  out  under  the  directions  of  the  Crown. 
Magellan  was  to  have  a  royal  commission  as  Captain- 
General  of  the  Fleet  and  hereditary  governor  of  all 
lands  discovered  ;  there  were  to  be  five  ships  and 
234  men,  while  the  most  minute  directions  were 
given  with  regard  to  the  rehgion,  the  food,  the  sani- 
tary care,  and  every  other  detail  of  the  crews  and 
the  new  settlements.  Magellan  sailed  from  San 
Lucar  de  Barameda,  on  September  20, 1519,  his  main 
object  being  to  discover  a  strait  or  open  sea  which 
would  take  him  to  the  Moluccas.  After  succeeding 
in  his  purpose,  he  passed  into  the  Pacific  Ocean,  to 
which  he  gave  the  name,  as  he  there  enjoyed  con- 
stant fine  weather  and  favourable  breezes. 

The  end  of  his  gallant  story  has  been  told,  and 
about  the  same  time  as  Charles  learnt  the  fate  of 
Magellan  he  also  received  the  famous  third  letter 
of  Hernando  Cortes,  full  of  the  stirring  adventures  of 
the  conquest  of  Mexico.  This  may  therefore  appear 
to  be  a  suitable  moment  for  giving  a  brief  account  of 
discoveries  and  conquests  in  the  New  World,  which 
were  destined  to  be  of  such  immense  importance  to 
Charles  V  and  his  Spanish  realm. 

From  his  earhest  days  the  young  prince  must 
have  been  famihar  with  wild  and  marvellous  dreams 
of  adventure  in  that  far-off  world  whose  dim  horizon 
was  ever  becoming  clearer  and  more  vivid.  The 
stream  of  adventure  had  swept  far  and  wide  even 


76  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

before  the  birth  of  Charles,  who  was  six  years  old 
at  the  death  of  Columbus — the  best-known  of  that 
band  of  gallant  pioneers  whose  heroic  story  must 
have  pierced  the  prison  walls  of  the  future  ruler's 
strictly  trained  and  over-tutored  childhood.  And 
we  must  remember  that  all  these  golden  lands  already 
discovered  across  the  Western  Seas  were  to  the 
young  monarch  no  dim  abstractions,  but  his  own 
inheritance  from  his  grandmother  Isabel,  or  his  pos- 
sessions by  more  recent  conquest  of  the  crown  of 
Castile.  Moreover,  as  time  passed  on,  the  present 
became  more  vivid  and  exciting  than  the  past.  The 
dark  cloud  of  mystery  which  rested  on  the  unknown 
and  apparently  boundless  ocean  was  lifting  day  by 
day,  and  the  heroic  exploits  of  many  a  dauntless 
navigator  and  warrior  were  adding  gems  of  priceless 
value  to  the  imperial  diadem. 

We  cannot  do  more  than  allude  to  the  splendid 
daring  and  unconquerable  perseverance  of  Columbus 
the  Great  Admiral,  and  his  companions,  which  had 
led  the  way  to  discovery  and  conquest  on  behalf  of 
Spain.  This  had  made  such  steady  progress  that, 
at  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Charles  V,  from  the 
Bay  of  Honduras  along  the  winding  shores  of  Darien 
and  the  South  American  continent,  to  the  Rio  de  la 
Plata,  the  whole  coast  had  been  explored.  "  The 
mighty  barrier  of  the  Isthmus  had  been  chmbed, 
and  the  Pacific  descried,  by  Nunez  de  Balboa,  who 
took  possession  of  the  ocean  and  all  the  lands  it 
bounded  in  the  name  of  his  sovereign.''  The 
Bahamas  and  the  Caribbee  Islands  had  been  dis- 
covered and  the  peninsula  of  Florida,  on  the  northern 


CHARLES  V  AND  HIS  COLONIES       77 

continent.  It  was  at  this  point  that  Sebastian 
Cabot  had  arrived  in  his  descent  along  the  coast  from 
Labrador,  in  1497.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that 
the  eastern  borders  of  both  the  great  continents  had 
been  surveyed  through  ahiiost  their  whole  extent 
before  the  year  1518. 

It  is  curious  to  remember  that  a  Papal  Bill  of 
Partition  had  been  signed  by  Alexander  VI,  on 
May  2,  1493,  by  which  the  rival  claims  of  the  two 
great  naval  countries,  Spain  and  Portugal,  were  to 
be  settled.  An  im^aginary  hne  was  drawn  from  north 
to  south,  a  hundred  leagues  west  of  the  Azores  and 
the  Cape  de  Verde  Islands.  The  west  was  awarded 
to  Castile,  the  east  to  Portugal;  but,  by  some 
crooked  diplomacy,  the  hne  was  moved  the  next 
year,  so  as  to  bestow  the  Brazils  upon  Portugal.  In 
later  years  we  find  Charles  still  accepting  this  hne 
of  demarcation,  and  warning  Magellan  not  to  touch 
at  or  explore  any  land  belonging  to  the  King  of 
Portugal,  his  uncle. 

Colonization  had  by  no  means  kept  pace  with 
discovery — although  there  had  been  settlements  in 
Darien,  in  parts  of  Terra  Firma,  and  elsewhere — 
until  the  reign  of  Charles  V,  which  may  be  looked 
upon  as  a  time  of  conquest  and  definite  organization. 
From  the  very  first,  the  young  prince  followed  out 
the  same  hne  of  kindly  pohcy  towards  the  natives 
which  Queen  Isabel  had  so  strongly  supported.  On 
his  first  arrival  in  Spain  he  took  the  deepest  interest 
in  the  missionary  views  of  Las  Casas,  the  Evangehst 
of  the  Indies ;  he  signed  with  his  own  hand  the 
grant  for  the  settlement  on  the  Pearl  Coast,  in  which 


78  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

the  devoted  missionary  was  to  have  a  free  hand 
in  forming  a  colony  where  the  natives  were  to  be 
treated  with  even  justice  and  kindly  charity.  He 
had  long  pleaded  against  the  cruel  system  of  "  re- 
partimientos  "  which  King  Ferdinand  had  permitted, 
by  which  the  natives  were  herded  in  hundreds  and 
sold  to  the  highest  bidder.    Las  Casas  wrote: 

"  The  Christian  rehgion  would  deal  ahke  with  every 
nation  on  the  globe.  It  robs  no  man  of  his  freedom 
or  his  rights  on  the  plea  that '  he  is  a  slave  by  nature/ 
as  men  say.  It  would  well  become  your  Majesty 
to  banish  so  monstrous  an  oppression  from  your 
kingdoms,  at  the  beginning  of  your  reign,  that  the 
Ahnighty  may  make  it  long  and  glorious." 

We  can  scarcely  wonder  that,  with  so  many  oppos- 
ing interests,  the  colony  proved  a  failure ;  but  aU  the 
life  of  Las  Casas  was  given  to  the  noble  work  of  pro- 
tecting the  "  Indians,"  who  looked  upon  him  as  their 
*'  Father  and  Protector,"  and  he  was  always  certain 
of  the  support  of  the  Emperor. 

Much  as  had  already  been  discovered,  the  shores 
of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  that  splendid  land  still 
remained  unexplored,  until  the  coming  of  Hernando 
Cortes,  a  young  adventurer  who  went  out  to  Cuba, 
and  when  he  was  offered  a  grant  of  land,  replied  : 
"  But  I  came  to  find  gold,  not  to  till  the  land  hke  a 
peasant."  He  had  the  chance  of  showing  his  fight- 
ing capacity,  and  was  fortunate  enough  to  be  made 
Captain-general  of  an  armada  which  Velasquez,  the 
Governor  of  Cuba,  was  sending  out  to  conquer  the 
unknown  empire  of  the  west.    In  his  eager  enthusi-; 


CHARLES  V  AND  HIS  COLONIES       79 

asm,  Cortes  had  spent  aU  his  own  money  when  he  set 
sail  on  November  18,  1518,  with  full  directions.  He 
was  to  remember  that,  above  all  things,  the  Em- 
peror desired  the  conversion  of  the  Indians  ;  he  was 
to  make  an  accurate  survey  of  the  coast,  sounding 
all  the  bays,  to  learn  all  about  the  character  of  the 
people  and  their  civihzation,  and  the  natural  pro- 
ducts of  the  country,  also  to  send  home  all  he  could. 

Cortes  had  to  escape  in  haste  to  avoid  the  jealous 
interference  of  Velasquez,  and^  after  passing  the  port 
of  Macaca,  he  sailed  on  to  Trinidad,  collecting  gifts 
and  volunteers,  also  to  Havana ;  and  when  he 
reached  Cape  St.  Antonio  he  took  stock  of  his 
forces.  These  were  110  mariners,  553  soldiers,  in- 
cluding 32  cross-bow-men  and  13  arquebusiers,  200 
Indians,  10  heavy  guns,  4  lighter  falconets,  a  good 
supply  of  ammunition  and  16  horses,  each  said  to  have 
cost  400  to  500  pesos  de  oro.  There  was  a  solemn 
Mass  before  starting  for  the  island  of  Cozumel,  where 
a  Christian  captive  named  Aguilar  was  picked  up 
and  proved  a  most  useful  interpreter ;  but  the 
adventurers  were  still  more  fortunate  when,  at 
Tabasco  in  Yucatan,  they  received  amongst  other 
slaves,  a  young  girl  of  great  intelligence  called 
Marina,  who  miderstood  the  Mexican  language. 
It  was  through  her  that  Cortes  first  learnt  all  about 
Montezuma,  the  great  Emperor  of  the  Aztecs,  whose 
rule  extended  as  far  as  the  peninsula  of  Yucatan. 

It  was  on  Good  Friday,  April  21,  1519,  that  Cortes 
landed  on  the  desolate,  wind-swept,  sandy  shore  of 
the  Mexican  mainland,  to  which  he  gave  the  name 
of  Villa  Rica  de  Vera  Cruz,  and  it  was  here  that  a 


80  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

camp  was  made  for  the  army,  while  provisions  were 
obtained  from  the  Indians  near.  The  Aztec  chief 
of  the  district  was  much  impressed,  and,  by  desire  of 
Cortes,  sent  messengers  to  the  great  Emperor  Monte- 
zuma to  say  that  the  stranger  wished  to  visit  him, 
and  sent  presents  from  his  great  lord  beyond  the 
seas.  The  reply  was  not  encouraging  :  "  Come  not 
hither ;  the  road  is  long  and  dangerous ;  return  to 
your  own  country,  with  our  greeting  to  your  King." 
But  at  the  same  time  costly  gifts  of  golden  articles 
and  precious  jewels  were  sent.  A  full  account  of  all 
this  is  given  in  the  first  letter  of  Cortes  to  Charles  V, 
and  the  rich  presents,  of  immense  value,  were  sent 
later  in  a  special  brigantine  to  the  Emperor  and 
reached  Spain  safely,  exciting  great  interest.  Mean- 
time, Cortes  had  received  an  invitation  from  the  chief 
of  the  Totonacs,  a  vassal  of  Montezuma,  to  visit  his 
city  of  Cempoalla ;  and  this  he  gladly  accepted, 
with  his  small  army,  as  he  heard  that  the  Totonacs 
were  weary  of  the  Aztec  yoke. 

Their  hospitable  reception  was  abruptly  disturbed 
by  the  arrival  of  an  angry  command  from  the  Aztec 
Emperor  that  the  strangers  should  be  sent  away. 
Cortes  persuaded  the  chief  to  imprison  the  embassy, 
and  by  so  doing  the  Totonacs  were  compromised 
and  compelled  to  become  the  alhes  of  the  Spaniards. 
Some  of  these  last  became  alarmed,  and  formed  a 
plot  to  seize  one  of  the  caravels  and  return  to  Cuba. 
But  when  Cortes  heard  of  this  new  danger,  he  swore 
that  there  should  be  no  turning  back,  and  his  master- 
stroke of  decision  was  the  desperate  resolve  to  sink 
his  ships.     This  was  his  answer  to  the  conspirators 


CHARLES  V  AND  HIS  COLONIES       81 

— death  or  victory  was  now  the  only  chance  before 
them.  He  made  an  ardent  appeal  to  his  men,  and 
his  splendid  courage  was  contagious ;  there  were 
none  who  dared  to  oppose  him. 

A  solemn  Mass  was  celebrated  by  the  priest 
Olmedo,  who  had  also  baptized  a  number  of  the 
Totonacs  ;  it  was  his  custom  to  give  the  same  name 
to  all  who  came  to  the  font  on  one  day.  Then  the 
army  of  Cortes — about  400  Spaniards  and  3,000 
Totonacs  and  other  Indians — set  forth  on  their 
journey  past  the  desert  coast,  and  onwards  towards 
the  mountains.  They  came  to  a  halt  on  the  way 
when  they  faced  a  massive  stone  wall,  which  they 
learnt  was  the  outer  defence  of  the  Tlascalans,  the 
independent  mountain  repubhc  which  had  ever 
defied  the  Aztecs.  War  was  inevitable  with  this 
fierce  people,  who  refused  all  parley  with  strangers, 
and,  after  two  days'  fighting  against  overwhelming 
numbers,  the  gallant  httle  army  of  Cortes  had  the 
advantage.  The  cavalry  had  proved  of  great  ser- 
vice, for  the  Tlascalans  were  much  terrified  by  the 
strange  animal,  man  and  horse  combined,  as  they 
at  first  believed.  After  various  awkward  episodes, 
the  Tlascalans  invited  the  strangers  into  their  capital, 
and  made  what  proved  to  be  a  firm  and  most  valu- 
able alHance  with  them. 

When  the  Spaniards  left  it  was  with  a  strong  force 
of  their  new  allies  ;  but  they  were  to  meet  with  many 
troubles  on  their  way.  In  Cholula,  the  land  of  the 
great  pyramid,  they  were  threatened  with  foul 
treachery,  and  only  escaped  by  the  brave  Marina 
having  discovered  a  plot  to  annihilate  them,  which 
6 


82  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

they  avenged  by  a  cruel  massacre.  When  they  had 
escaped  from  the  fatal  city  the  way  seemed  clear 
before  them,  and  they  climbed  the  great  mountain- 
range  from  whence  the  fair  valley  of  Mexico  was 
outspread  beneath  their  feet.  They  beheld  from  afar 
the  shimmering  lakes,  and,  rising  mysterious  in  the 
centre,  their  longed-for  goal,  the  white  walls  and 
towers  of  the  Aztec  capital,  the  unknown  Tenoch- 
titlan. 

After  a  steep  descent,  Cortes  and  his  army  at  last 
reached  the  southern  end  of  the  great  lake  Texcoco, 
from  which  stretched  the  narrow  causeway  several 
miles  long  which  reached  the  island  city,  along  which 
they  were  led  by  their  Aztec  guides.  Perhaps  the 
strangest  thing  in  all  this  wild  adventure  was  the 
fact  that,  after  all  his  fierce  refusals,  Montezuma 
should  now  receive  these  Spanish  invaders  with 
stately  courtesy,  in  the  midst  of  his  pomp  and 
splendour.  Strong  indeed  must  have  been  his  faith 
in  the  mystic  Quetzacoatl,  "  god  of  the  air  " — who  had 
disappeared  towards  the  rising  sun,  promising  to 
return — when  he  believed  his  soothsayers,  who  told 
him  these  white  men  were  in  the  image  of  the  god, 
"  children  of  the  sun,"  and  that  their  coming  meant 
the  end  of  his  empire.  Who  could  fight  against 
fate  ?  It  was  this  superstition,  spread  far  and  wide 
through  all  the  tribes  of  Mexico,  and  which  had 
taken  such  deep  root  in  the  heart  of  Montezuma, 
which  won  for  Cortes  the  ultimate  victory.  "  Rest 
here  and  rejoice ;  take  what  you  will,  my  house  is 
yours,"  were  his  final  words  of  welcome. 

We  have  no  space  to  dwell  upon  the  marvels  of 


CHARLES  V  AND  HIS  COLONIES       83 

that  wonderful  city,  or  upon  the  fascinating  subject 
of  Aztec  history  and  civihzation.  The  thrilhng  story 
of  the  conquest  of  Mexico  must  be  told  in  as  few  words 
as  possible.  Cortes  could  not  beheve  that  the  great 
chief's  friendship  would  last,  and,  after  a  few  days, 
he  took  the  audacious  step  of  seizing  Montezuma 
himself  and  holding  him  as  a  hostage.  Even  to  this 
ignominy  the  deluded  fatahst  submitted,  and  for 
nearly  six  months  this  unnatural  state  of  things  con- 
tinued until  Cortes  was  suddenly  called  away  by 
news  of  an  attack  upon  Vera  Cruz.  He  reached  the 
coast  by  forced  marches,  and  was  able  to  rout  the 
enemy,  but  was  compelled  to  return  in  haste  to  the 
lake- city,  as  his  deputy  Alvarado,  by  his  foohsh  and 
cruel  conduct,  had  roused  the  people  to  a  frenzied 
attack  upon  the  Spaniards  and  their  native  friends. 
In  vain  Montezuma  took  their  side ;  he  was  struck 
by  a  stone  from  his  own  subjects,  and  died  soon  after, 
broken-hearted. 

Appalhng  was  the  hopeless  conflict  and  the  mas- 
sacre which  followed,  until  at  length  the  shattered 
remnant  of  the  Conquistador es  saw  that  flight  was 
their  only  hope ;  they  resolved  to  make  their  last 
venture  to  escape  by  night  along  the  great  causeway. 
In  darkness  and  disorder  they  stole  forth — many 
laden  with  gold  and  treasure  which  would  cost  them 
their  Hves — and  began  the  retreat  along  that  fatal 
causeway.  Then,  of  a  sudden,  the  great  drum  of  the 
war-god  was  sounded,  the  night  was  filled  with 
savage  war-cries,  and  the  Aztecs  in  their  thousands 
were  upon  the  hapless  fugitives.  Darts  and  stones 
were  rained  upon  them,  the  bridges  were  broken, 


84  A  GREAT  EMPEROE 

men  and  horses  were  driven  into  the  lake  with 
artillery  and  treasure,  until  it  seemed  that  none 
could  survive  that  awful  ordeal.  That  Noche  Triste, 
the  melancholy  night,  hves  in  the  annals  of  the  Con- 
quest as  the  very  lowest  depth  of  disaster. 

But  the  spirit  of  Cortes  was  unconquered.  He 
collected  his  wretched  comrades,  many  wounded 
and  all  needing  rest  and  food ;  he  inspired  them 
with  his  own  courage,  and  within  seven  days  led 
them  over  the  range  to  the  north  of  the  lake.  Here 
they  had  to  face  a  host  of  native  warriors,  sent  to 
exterminate  the  invaders,  by  Cuitlahua,  the  brother 
and  successor  of  Montezuma.  Then  indeed  the 
Spaniards  felt  that  their  last  day  had  come,  but, 
encouraged  and  fearlessly  led  forward  by  their  in- 
domitable captain,  they  and  the  survivors  of  their 
Tlascalan  alhes  made  a  desperate  attack,  but  were 
driven  back  again  and  again.  Suddenly  Cortes 
noticed  the  chief  of  the  Aztecs,  borne  in  a  litter, 
under  a  golden  banner,  surrounded  by  young  nobles, 
and  with  a  quick  inspiration  he  called  upon  his 
companions  to  join  in  an  attack  on  them.  This  was 
so  fierce  and  unexpected  that  it  met  with  complete 
success,  and  the  ghttering  chieftains  were  all  cut 
down.  As  the  terrible  news  spread  through  the 
multitude,  the  Indians  lost  heart,  threw  down  their 
arms,  and  fled  in  disorder.  They  were  pursued  and 
utterly  routed ;  and  thus  the  strange  battle  of 
Otumpa  was  won. 

The  victorious  httle  army  was  warmly  welcomed 
at  Tlascala,  while  the  fame  of  their  miraculous  victory 
spread   through   the   country,    and   brought   many 


CHARLES  V  AND  HIS  COLONIES       85 

allies  to  these  "  white  gods/'  who  must  certainly  be 
the  expected  "  children  of  the  sun/'  The  Tlascalans 
were  now  their  devoted  alhes,  and  when  Cortes,  un- 
dismayed by  the  fearful  past,  resolved  upon  another 
attack  on  the  "  lake-city,"  their  help  was  invaluable. 
It  was  decided  to  build  twelve  brigantines  for  attack 
on  the  lakes ;  a  Spanish  ship-builder  was  in  the 
army,  who  taught  the  natives  to  help  him ;  timber 
was  abundant,  and  Cortes  had  saved  the  rigging  and 
ironwork  of  the  ships  which  he  had  sunk  at  Vera 
Cruz.  The  vessels  were  built  in  the  forest,  and 
carried  in  pieces  for  sixty  miles  over  plain  and  moun- 
tain to  the  shore  of  the  lake  Tezcuco,  by  8,000 
Tlascalans.  Well  might  the  captain  proudly  write 
to  Charles  V,  "  I  assure  your  Majesty  that  the  train 
of  bearers  was  six  miles  long  ...  a  marvellous  sight 
to  see." 

Many  months  were  spent  in  preparation,  and  it 
was  not  until  the  winter  of  1520  that  the  valley  of 
Mexico  was  once  more  reached  by  the  Spanish  in- 
vaders and  their  native  allies.  A  fierce  and  terrible 
struggle  was  before  them,  for  the  Aztecs  were  now 
governed  and  led  by  the  nephew  of  Montezuma,  the 
brave  and  determined  Guatemoc,  who,  in  his  deadly 
hatred  of  the  enemy,  had  sworn  to  hold  his  city 
until  the  last  stone  was  thrown  down  and  the  last 
inhabitant  slain.  With  the  hke  unconquerable  spirit 
of  Cortes,  it  became  a  question  on  both  sides  of  vic- 
tory or  death. 

The  Spanish  forces  consisted  at  first  of  about  600 
men,  40  cavaky  and  80  arquebusiers  and  cross- 
bowmen.     The  rest   had  sword  and  target,  and  a 


86  A  GREAT  EMPEROE 

copper-headed  pike ;  there  were  nine  cannons  of 
medium  size.  As  for  the  native  alUes,  they  were  a 
mixed  multitude,  computed  at  about  50,000,  armed 
with  bows  and  arrows.  It  so  happened  that,  about 
this  time,  three  brigantines  arrived  at  Vera  Cruz 
with  200  men,  artillery,  gunpowder,  and  a  quantity 
of  horses,  sent  against  Cortes  by  the  jealous  Velas- 
quez, but  the  spirited  adventurer  persuaded  them 
to  join  him  in  his  great  enterprise. 

His  plan  of  attack  was  to  make  his  headquarters 
at  Tezcuco,  a  town  on  the  north-east  shore  of  the 
great  lake,  from  whence  he  could  conquer  the  various 
tribes  in  the  neighbourhood,  before  his  attack  upon 
the  capital.  The  siege  then  began  vigorously  by 
land  and  water ;  and  the  first  step  was  to  make  a 
simultaneous  attack  on  the  four  causeways  by  which 
the  city  received  its  food  supplies.  The  Spaniards 
steadily  advanced  and  gained  the  city  walls  un- 
molested, when  suddenly  the  horn  of  battle  was 
sounded  and  an  overwhelming  attack  of  the  Aztecs 
drove  them  back  in  terrible  disorder ;  men  and 
horses  were  hurled  into  the  lake,  and  the  soldier- 
writer,  Bernal  Diaz,  relates  :  "It  was  only  the  help 
of  God  which  saved  us  from  destruction,  for  we  were 
all  wounded.'' 

Cortes  himself  hung  back,  with  his  usual  generous 
devotion,  to  cover  the  retreat ;  and  it  is  probable 
that  he  and  most  of  the  survivors  escaped,  from  the 
Aztecs'  desire  to  take  them  ahve  for  sacrifice,  and 
therefore  to  spare  them  for  the  moment.  This  horrible 
fate  befell  many  of  their  gallant  band,  and,  to  add 
to  the  disaster,  most  of  the  Indian  alhes  deserted. 


CHARLES  V  AND  HIS  COLONIES       87 

from  belief  in  an  Aztec  prophecy  that  all  the  invad- 
ing host  would  be  destroyed  within  eight  days. 
But  undaunted  even  by  this,  Cortes  waited  till  the 
time  had  expired,  and  then  by  taunts  and  persua- 
sion, the  Tlascalans  and  others  were  induced  to 
return  to  his  camp.  He  then  made  ready  for  a  final 
attack  ;  and  it  was  settled  to  advance  more  slowly 
and  surely ;  to  destroy  the  causeways  and  the  city 
itself,  step  by  step,  and  to  fill  up  the  canals,  so  as 
to  make  a  complete  blockade.  This  continued  with 
fierce  fighting,  day  by  day,  for  the  people  disputed 
every  inch  of  the  ground,  until  at  last  famine  and 
plague  did  more  to  conquer  the  doomed  city  than 
the  actual  fighting. 

Again  and  again  peace  was  offered  to  the  beleaguered 
city,  but  w^as  refused  with  such  fury  that  the  ill-fated 
messenger  was  put  to  death.  One  last  desperate 
effort  was  made  to  pour  out  their  men  upon  the 
causeways  hke  a  furious  tide  of  battle,  but  they 
were  driven  back  with  fearful  loss  by  a  deadly  hail 
of  artillery.  No  words  can  describe  the  horrors  of 
starvation  and  suffering  within  the  city,  where  even 
the  chiefs  prayed  for  death  :  "Do  your  work  quickly ; 
we  are  weary  of  life  and  anguish.''  The  end  came 
with  a  terrible  assault,  and  a  savage  massacre  of  the 
inhabitants  by  the  Tlascalans,  mad  with  success 
against  their  ancient  foes,  and  deaf  to  all  the  en- 
treaties of  Cortes  for  mercy.  In  writing  to  Charles  V 
he  says:  **  Such  were  the  shrieks  and  weeping  .  .  •. 
that  there  were  none  of  us  whose  hearts  did  not 
break." 

Thus  fell  the  beautiful  lake-city,  of  which  Cortes 


88  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

gave  sucli  a  glowing  description  in  his  Second  Letter 
to  the  Eiiiperor.  The  conquest  of  Mexico  had  been 
practically  accomphshed  by  a  handful  of  adven- 
turers, led  by  a  mihtary  genius  whose  story  is  a 
marvellous  record  of  heroic  courage  and  endurance. 
It  is  fully  told  by  his  companion  Bernal  Diaz,  who 
fought  by  his  side,  and  also  in  those  famous  letters 
of  Cortes  to  Charles  V.  The  city  was  taken  at  the 
end  of  July,  1521,  and  the  conqueror's  first  care  was 
to  rebuild  the  city  of  Mexico,  and  on  the  site  of  the 
great  temple,  where  such  horrible  human  sacrifices 
had  once  been  held,  there  rose  the  stately  cathedral 
of  St.  Francis.  The  Third  Letter  of  Cortes  was 
written  on  May  22,  1522,  and  accompanied  a  fifth  of 
all  the  vast  treasures  of  the  Aztecs  :  splendid  trophies 
of  gold  and  priceless  jewels,  with  specimens  of  the 
rich  products  of  the  country.  All  these  had  arrived 
in  Spain  soon  after  Charles  returned  to  his  kingdom, 
and  created  a  great  sensation  amongst  all  classes. 

At  the  same  time  strong  complaints  against  Cortes 
were  received  from  the  jealous  Velasquez,  Governor 
of  Cuba,  which  the  Bishop  of  Burgos  and  other 
enemies  of  the  gallant  explorer  strongly  supported. 
All  the  sympathies  of  the  young  Emperor  were  with 
Cortes,  but  so  great  was  his  love  of  justice  that  he 
named  a  Junta  to  decide  the  question,  with  the 
result  that  all  the  acts  of  Cortes  were  confirmed  and 
he  was  made  Governor,  Captain-General  and  Chief 
Justice  of  New  Spain,  as  the  conquered  lands  were 
now  called.  He  was  also  entitled  to  a  coat  of  arms 
with  three  golden  crows  upon  a  sable  ground,  to  com- 
memorate his  victory  over  three  Emperors  of  Mexico. 


CHARLES  V  AND  HIS  COLONIES       89 

It  is  interesting  to  remember  that  the  whole  of 
this  expedition  was  looked  upon  by  those  who  took 
part  in  it  as  a  crusade,  and  a  mission  to  convert  the 
heathen.  They  bore  with  them  a  standard  of  black 
velvet,  embroidered  with  the  motto  in  Latin  :  "Let 
us  follow  the  cross,  and  if  we  have  faith  we  shall 
conquer.'* 


CHAPTEE    VIII 

BATTLE   OF  PA  VIA — TREATY  OF   MADRID 

Wise  rule  of  Charles  in  Spain — His  war  with  Fran9oi8  I,  whose  injustice 
drives  Bourbon  to  take  up  arms  on  the  side  of  the  Emperor — Hia 
campaign  in  Provence  ;  compelled  to  retreat  from  lack  of  support 
— Bourbon  secures  the  help  of  Georg  von  Frundsberg  and  his  lands- 
kneohte — Battle  of  Pavia,  where  the  King  of  France  is  taken 
prisoner — He  is  sent  to  Spain — Long  negotiations  end  with  the 
Treaty  of  Madrid,  1626,  by  which  Fran9oi3  is  released — Marriage 
of  Charles  V  with  Isabel  of  Portugal. 

A  NEW  era  began  for  Charles  V  after  hia  return  to 
Spain  in  1522.  He  had  grown  in  wisdom  now  that 
he  was  no  longer  controlled  by  Flemish  advisers  who, 
for  the  most  part,  sought  only  dignities  and  wealth 
for  themselves.  From  this  time  he  began  to  take 
a  warm  interest  in  his  mother's  country,  and,  as  he 
grew  to  understand  his  people,  he  felt  the  wisdom 
of  reserving  for  them  all  posts  of  importance  and 
dignity.  He  won  all  hearts  by  his  merciful  treat- 
ment of  the  rebels  who  had  threatened  Iiis  rule  in 
Spain  ;  he  granted  a  liberal  amnesty,  and,  if  some  of 
the  leaders  were  exiled,  they  met  with  a  far  lighter 
punishment  than  any  other  sovereign  of  his  time 
would  have  exacted  for  rebelhon. 

Yet,  if  there  was  peace  in  Spain,  the  air  was  heavy 
with  threatening  war-clouds  all  over  Central  Europe, 
where  Charles  had  so  many  varied  interests.     The 

90 


BATTLE  OF  PA  VIA  91 

contest  for  the  Empire  may  have  been  the  first 
manifest  sign  of  rivalry  between  the  two  young 
sovereigns,  Charles  and  Frangois,  although  other 
hereditary  subjects  of  dispute  were  not  wanting. 
France  claimed  Naples,  Milan,  Burgundy,  Navarre 
.  .  .  and  had  long  stirred  up  revolt  against  the 
Netherlands  with  Charles  of  Guelders,  Robert  de  la 
Marck,  and  the  burghers  of  Li^ge  and  Ghent,  and 
against  Spain  by  encouraging  Henri  d'Albret.  The 
time  arrived  for  open  warfare  when  the  French 
general  Bonnivet  took  Fuenterrabia,  and  this  act  of 
aggression  roused  Henry  VIII  and  the  Pope  to  join 
Spain  against  France.  After  the  death  of  Leo  X 
and  the  succession  of  the  peaceful  Adrian  VI,  the 
war  languished  for  a  while,  but  in  the  year  1523  the 
Emperor  secured  a  valuable  ally  in  the  person  of 
Charles,  Due  de  Bourbon.  This  distinguished  general 
was  driven  to  exile  and  rebelhon  by  the  cruel  in- 
justice of  Fran§ois  I,  who  confiscated  his  lands  and 
threatened  his  hfe.' 

The  French  King  had  been  about  to  invade  Italy 
in  person,  but  he  now  sent  Bonnivet,  who  at  first 
achieved  some  success  in  the  Milanese  against  the 
Marchese  di  Pescara,  but  did  not  accomphsh  the 
taking  of  Milan.  The  French  general  was  a  man  of 
narrow  views,  wilful  and  obstinate,  and  it  was 
through  these  faults  that  the  gallant  Bayard  was 
entrusted  with  the  hopeless  post  of  defending  the 
rear  in  the  fatal  retreat  across  the  valley  of 
the  Sesia,  near  Novara.  The  loss  of  that  noble 
knight,  **  sans  peur  et  sans  reproche,"  was  the  greatest 

*  See  the  full  story  in  "  Charles  de  Bourbon,"  by  Christopher  Hare. 


92  A  GREAT  EIMPEROE 

disaster  of  the  futile  expedition  of  1523-24.  Mean- 
time the  Spaniards  had  retaken  Fuenterrabia,  but 
they  were  not  in  sufficient  force  to  invade  France. 

Henry  VIII  had  sent  a  large  army  into  Northern 
France  under  the  command  of  the  Duke  of  Suffolk, 
a  burly  soldier,  without  much  initiative,  whose  war- 
hke  efforts  were  mainly  engaged  in  burning  villages 
and  laying  waste  the  country  in  Picardy.  A  stroke 
of  apparent  good  fortune  for  Frangois  I  was  the 
death  of  Adrian  VI  in  September  1523,  and  the  elec- 
tion of  a  Medici,  Clement  VII,  who  would  probably 
be  bribed  to  join  his  side.  But  all  who  rehed  upon 
this  wily,  vacillating  Pope  were  destined  to  learn 
that  he  would  prove  but  a  broken  reed. 

Meantime  Charles  had  great  hopes  from  the  com- 
ing of  Bourbon  to  his  service,  and  encouraged  him 
with  splendid  but  vague  promises.  It  was  even 
suggested  that  a  new  kingdom  of  Provence  should 
be  formed  for  him,  and  that  he  should  obtain  as  a 
bride  Eleonore  the  sister  of  the  Emperor,  who  had 
married  Emmanuel  King  of  Portugal  in  1518,  and 
was  left  a  widow  four  years  later.  In  any  case, 
Charles  was  eager  for  the  conquest  of  Marseilles, 
which  would  add  greatly  to  the  sea-power  of  his 
dominions,  forming  a  hnk  between  Barcelona  and 
Genoa,  and  thus  giving  Spain  the  command  of  the 
Mediterranean.  Bourbon,  now  Commander-in-Chief, 
eagerly  undertook  the  conquest  of  Provence,  but  the 
French  army  had  already  collected  in  force  at  Avignon, 
while  Marseilles  was  so  well  defended  by  Renzo  da 
Ceri,  and  provisi  oned  by  the  French  fleet  under  Andrea 
Doria,  that  the  most  strenuous  attacks  failed  and 


BATTLE  OF  PA  VIA  93 

at  the  last,  the  soldiers  refused  to  follow  their  general 
to  the  desperate  assault  of  the  walls,  and  the  siege 
was  raised. 

It  was  a  bitter  disappointment  to  Bourbon,  who 
felt  that  he  had  been  deceived  and  deserted.  Charles 
was  to  have  invaded  Roussillon,  and  Henry  VIII 
was  to  have  made  a  simultaneous  attack  upon 
Northern  France,  but  both  of  them  failed  to  keep 
their  promises,  so  that  Fran9ois  I  was  free  to  throw 
all  his  strength  in  defence  of  Marseilles. 

With  the  rebelhous  temper  of  his  army,  Bourbon 
had  no  choice  but  to  retreat  to  Italy,  and  on  Sep- 
tember 29,  1524,  the  camp  was  raised,  and  the  army 
struggled  back  by  the  rough  Riviera  road  on  which 
it  came.  We  have  a  full  account  of  the  retreat  of 
the  imperial  forces,  from  the  Spanish  soldier,  Juan 
de  Ornayo.  He  tells  how  the  guns  were  packed  on 
mules,  how  the  troops  were  constantly  threatened  by 
the  pursuit  of  the  light  cavalry  of  Montmorency, 
who  were  fiercely  driven  oiE,  while  the  soldiers,  worn 
out  with  fatigue,  continued  their  journey  by  day 
and  night.  The  Marchese  of  Pescara,  who  was  in 
command  of  the  rear-guard,  had  on  one  occasion  to 
set  fire  to  a  barn  where  some  of  the  landsknechte 
could  not  be  roused  from  their  heavy  slumber,  when 
the  enemy  were  in  full  pursuit. 

Still  nothing  could  subdue  the  undying  spirit  of 
Bourbon  as  he  hastened  onwards  and  reached  Lodi 
in  time  to  oppose  the  French  army  under  the  King 
himself,  and  take  part  in  the  next  act  of  the  great 
drama.  But  the  imperial  general  L annoy,  seeing 
the  worn-out  condition   of   the  troops  after   their 


94  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

hurried  and  weary  journey,  decided  that  it  would  be 
unwise  to  risk  an  engagement.  They  proceeded  to 
fortify  several  important  places  which  commanded 
rivers,  such  as  Alessandria  on  the  Tanaro,  Pavia  on 
the  Ticino,  Cremona  on  the  Po,  Lodi  and  Pizzighetone 
on  the  Adda.  Pavia  was  strengthened  by  a  large 
addition  to  its  garrison,  and  the  command  was  given 
to  Antonio  de  Leyva,  a  brave  Spaniard,  who  proved 
worthy  of  Bourbon's  confidence.  They  hastened 
towards  Milan,  but  found  that  the  Duke  Francesco 
Sforza,  in  a  fit  of  panic,  had  already  yielded  the  city 
to  Franyois  I  and  sent  him  the  keys.  La  Tremouille 
was  placed  in  possession  of  the  place,  and  all  seemed 
to  promise  well  for  the  French  cause.  But  the  King 
had  already  made  the  mistake  of  not  at  once  attack- 
ing the  depressed  imperial  army,  and  he  now  took 
another  false  step  by  deciding  to  commence  the  siege 
of  Pavia. 

Bourbon  was  well  aware  that  the  French  army 
was  far  superior  in  numbers  to  that  under  his  com- 
mand, and  he  had  already  written  to  ask  the  Emperor 
if  he  could  send  help  from  Spain.  But  Charles  rephed 
that  he  was  at  that  time  engaged  in  arranging  the 
marriage  of  his  young  sister  Catahna,  and  was  also 
suflering  from  intermittent  fever.  We  find  more 
particulars  in  his  diary,  where  he  says  that  he  took 
his  young  sister  to  Anyaguia,  where  he  remained  until 
November  4,  when  she  was  married  to  the  King 
Joao  III,  the  successor  on  the  throne  of  Portugal 
of  Emanuel  the  Fortunate.  We  have  already  seen 
the  deep  interest  which  he  took  in  the  fate  of  his 
youngest  sister,  who  had  been  the  constant  com- 


BATTLE  OF  PA  VIA  95 

panion  of  her  unfortunate  mother  in  her  sad  seclusion. 
Now  that  this  beautiful  young  girl  had  reached  the 
age  of  seventeen,  we  feel  that  Charles  must  have 
considered  it  his  duty  to  arrange  a  marriage  for  her, 
much  as  he  might  regret  the  grief  which  her  loss 
would  be  to  her  mother.  Yet  even  to  the  shadowed 
mind  of  Juana  it  would  be  natural  that  she  should 
thus  lose  her  daughter,  for  marriage  would  seem  to 
be  more  especially  the  inevitable  fate  of  a  royal 
princess. 

Meantime  the  need  for  men  and  money  was  so 
great  in  Italy,  that  Bourbon  took  the  desperate 
step  of  applying  to  the  Duchess  of  Savoy,  a  princess 
of  Portugal,  who  was  persuaded  to  pawn  her  precious 
jewels  for  the  sake  of  the  Emperor.  The  Due  de 
Bourbon  added  to  this  all  the  valuable  gems  he  him- 
self possessed,  and,  having  secured  good  letters  of 
exchange,  he  posted  straight  to  Nuremburg,  where  he 
induced  Georg  von  Frundsberg,  Prince  of  Mindelheim, 
to  join  him.  This  famous  mihtary  leader  had  been 
one  of  the  first  to  declare  himself  on  the  side  of  Luther, 
and  he  desired  nothing  more  than  to  bring  his  levies 
into  Italy  and  await  a  chance  of  attacking  the  Pope. 
Within  three  weeks  10,000  veteran  soldiers  had  been 
raised  by  Frundsberg,  and  in  the  Duchy  of  Wiirtem- 
berg  6,000  more  were  collected.  Duke  Charles  was 
also  successful  in  persuading  the  Archduke  Ferdinand 
to  send  200  landsknechte  and  300  horsemen,  as  we 
learn  in  a  letter  which  he  wrote  to  Wolsey  from  Trent 
on  January  5,  1525.    He  adds  : 


(C 


Monsieur,  I  have  heard  that  the  French  say  that 


96  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

I  retired  shamefully  from  Provence ;  I  remained 
there  during  three  months  and  eight  days,  awaiting 
battle,  for  I  desired  nothing  else. .  . .  Monsieur,  I  would 
again  tell  you  that  never  before  had  you,  nor  will 
you  ever  have  again  so  good  a  time  for  invading  the 
kingdom  of  France  as  at  present ;  inasmuch  as  the 
King  and  all  the  princes  of  France  as  well  as  the  chief 
captains  are  over  yonder  (in  Italy)  and  you  will  meet 
with  no  resistance.  ..." 

But  again  he  spoke  to  deaf  ears,  for  Henry  VIII 
once  more  broke  all  his  engagements,  and  missed  the 
favourable  moment  for  invading  France  and  support- 
ing the  Emperor. 

On  January  17  the  Viceroy  Lannoy  was  able  to 
write  to  Marguerite  of  Austria  that  Monsieur  de 
Bourbon  had  arrived  at  Lodi  with  an  army  of  lands- 
knechte.  "  He  has  done  the  Emperor  good  service, 
and  His  Majesty  is  greatly  indebted  to  him  in  every 
way.  ...  I  own  the  same  to  him,  and  will  pay  him  all 
possible  honour,  for  he  is  well  worthy  of  it." 

At  the  first  sign  of  failure  in  Provence,  Clement  VII 
had  begun  to  incHne  towards  France,  and,  while  his 
crafty  poHcy  was  to  play  the  part  of  a  peacemaker, 
he  made  a  secret  treaty  with  the  French  King. 
Ferrara  and  Venice,  Florence,  Lucca,  and  Siena  were 
all  prepared  to  follow  suit  and  pay  homage  to  the 
rising  sun.  Encouraged  by  this  apparent  success, 
Frangois  I.  was  unwase  enough  to  weaken  his  forces 
by  sending  troops  to  attack  Genoa,  and  others  under 
the  Duke  of  Albany  to  overawe  Naples.  Within  the 
walls  of  Pavia,  Antonio  de  Leyva  had  inspired  the 


Anderson  photo. 


EMPRESS    ISABEL,    WIFE    OF    CHARLES    V. 

By  Titian. 


96] 


e„<,    c  o: 


BATTLE  OF  PA  VIA  97 

citizens  and  the  German  soldiers  with  his  own  gallant 
spirit,  until  the  French  grew  weary  of  vain  assaults 
and  the  siege  gradually  became  a  blockade.  Pescara, 
meanwhile,  with  his  rested  and  reorganized  army, 
held  the  line  of  the  Adda,  Bourbon  brought  up  his 
landsknechte  in  good  order  from  the  Tyrol, andL annoy, 
with  his  mixed  following  of  Itahans  and  Spaniards, 
was  drawing  near  the  French  forces  entrenched  in  the 
great  park  of  Mirabello. 

It  was  at  dawn  on  February  24,  the  Feast  of 
St.  Matthias  and  the  birthday  of  Charles  V,  that  the 
famous  battle  of  Pavia  began.  The  imperial  leaders 
had  ordered  the  attack  to  commence  by  breaking 
down  the  walls  of  the  Mirabello,  but  they  were  so 
massive  that  the  night  had  been  nearly  spent  before 
there  was  room  for  the  armed  battahons  to  pass 
through.  Instead  of  a  surprise,  they  found  the 
French  in  battle  array,  and  were  met  with  a  fierce 
artillery  attack  which  drove  back  the  entering  host 
with  serious  loss.  The  battle  now  became  general ; 
the  Spanish  Hght  cavalry  led  the  vanguard,  followed 
by  L  annoy  with  his  troops,  and  Pescara  threw  his 
rapid  arquebusiers  against  the  French  men-at-arms. 
In  perfect  confidence  of  success,  the  King  was  in 
command  of  his  main  army,  and  he  led  the  charge 
with  a  gay  array  of  nobles  and  great  captains. 
Nothing  could  resist  the  impetus  of  those  heavily 
armed  cavahers  with  their  splendid  impetuosity ; 
the  imperial  cavalry  was  dispersed  and  the  leader 
slain  by  the  lance  of  Frangois  himself ;  the  men-at- 
arms  of  Lannoy  were  driven  back,  and  a  company  of 
arquebusiers  and  pikemen  was  broken  up.  When 
7 


98  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

the  King  saw  them  in  flight  he  gave  a  cry  of  triumph 
and  thought  the  victory  was  won. 

The  fortune  of  battle  appeared  to  be  so  far  on  the 
side  of  the  French ;  but  the  enemy,  though  driven 
back,  was  not  discouraged.  It  was  Charles  de  Bour- 
bon, with  his  indomitable  spirit,  who  ralhed  the 
landsknechte  and  led  forward  the  main  body  of  the 
army  with  steady  courage,  unchecked  by  the  French 
artillery,  which  was  now  partly  masked  by  the  forward 
movement  of  the  Black  Bands,  whose  gallant  leader, 
Giovanni  dei  Medici,  was  not  there  to  direct  them. 
With  a  vehement,  overwhelming  rush  the  picked 
bands  of  Bourbon  charged  the  knights  in  their  heavy 
armour,  unhorsed  and  cast  them  upon  the  ground, 
until  their  ranks  were  in  disorder  and  the  stress  of 
battle  fell  upon  the  Swiss  mercenaries  beliind. 
Shaken  by  the  retreat  of  the  men-at-arms  upon  them, 
harassed  by  the  firing  of  the  arquebusiers  in  hot 
pursuit,  attacked  in  front  by  cavalry  and  on  the 
right  flank  by  Bourbon  and  liis  landsknechte,  the  Swiss 
battahons  gave  way  after  one  desperate  effort,  and 
seeing  the  day  was  lost,  turned  to  flight. 

Fighting  for  pay,  caring  for  neither  side,  these 
soldiers  were  wilhng  to  run  ordinary  risks,  but  whole- 
sale massacre  was  not  in  the  bargain.  "  La  guerre 
devant  durer  toute  la  vie,  on  la  menait  doucement." 
When  the  King  of  France,  fighting  gallantly  in  the 
midst  of  a  melee,  suddenly  became  aware  that  the 
Swiss  were  retreating  in  disorder,  he  cried  in  dismay, 
"  Mon  Dieu !  qu'est-ce  ?  ''  and  rode  to  try  and 
check  the  fugitives.  But  they  would  not  even  Hsten 
to  the  commands  of  their  own  leaders,  and  in  that 


BATTLE  OF  PA  VIA  99 

moment  of  confusion,  Antonio  de  Leyva  rode  out  of 
Pavia  with  his  light  cavalry,  his  lances,  and  5,000 
foot-soldiers  ;  he  dashed  into  the  company  of  French 
men-at-arms  who  had  rallied  round  their  King,  and 
terrible  was  the  slaughter  which  followed.  The 
noblest  names  of  France  were  in  that  roll-call  of 
honour,  as  the  brave  knights  fell  in  the  service  of 
their  King,  who  seemed  to  lead  a  charmed  hfe.  He 
was  wounded  and  his  horse  was  killed  under  him, 
but  still  he  fought  on  until  L annoy,  the  Viceroy, 
caught  sight  of  his  sliining  armour  and  feathered 
helmet  and  rescued  him — a  prisoner  to  the  Emperor. 

We  have  not  space  to  tell  the  whole  story  as  Fran- 
9ois  told  it  himself  in  his  long  poem  written  in 
captivity.  It  was  from  the  citadel  of  Pizzigheone 
that  he  sent  the  well-known  letter  to  his  mother, 
Louise  de  Savoie.  "  Madame,  pour  vous  faire  savoir, 
comme  se  porte  le  reste  de  mon  infortune,  de  toutes 
choses  ne  m'est  demeure,  que  Thonneur  et  la  vie  qui 
est  saulve." 

In  less  than  two  hours  a  splendid  army  had  been 
utterly  defeated  and  almost  destroyed.  More  than 
10,000  men  were  left  upon  the  field  of  battle,  or  had 
been  drowned  in  seeking  to  escape,  for  Leyva  had 
caused  the  bridge  over  the  Ticino  to  be  destroyed. 
Besides  the  French  nobles  who  lost  their  hves  on 
that  fatal  day,  many  other  famous  leaders  were 
taken  prisoners,  amongst  whom  were  the  King 
of  Navarre,  the  Due  de  Nemours,  Montmorency, 
d'Aubigny,  the  Vidame  of  Chartres,  the  Seneschal  of 
Armagnac,  and  a  host  of  lesser  rank.  The  news  of 
the  victory  was  sent  to  Charles  by  a  messenger  who 


100  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

arrived  at  Madrid  on  March  14.  When  told  the  good 
news,  the  Emperor  remained  silent  and  pale  at  first, 
and  repeated  the  words :  "  The  battle  is  won,  the 
King  of  France  is  prisoner !  "  Then  he  went  alone 
into  his  room  and  remained  long  in  prayer.  Only 
later  did  he  ask  for  details  of  the  battle.  He  refused 
to  allow  pubhc  rejoicings,  and  the  next  day  went  in 
slow  procession,  on  foot,  in  a  black  cape,  to  the 
Church  of  Notre  Bame  d'Atocha,  where  he  heard  a 
solemn  mass.  The  preacher  had  taken  for  his  text, 
**  Laudamini  nomen  Dei  vestri,  qui  fecit  nobiscum 
mirabiUa,"  but  he  was  forbidden  to  dwell  upon  the 
triumph.  In  fact,  the  whole  behaviour  of  this  young 
conqueror  of  five-and-twenty  was  a  marvellous 
instance  of  self-control.  , 

He  agreed  to  a  truce  with  France,  as  **  it  did  not 
accord  with  his  honour  to  make  war  on  a  King  who 
was  his  prisoner  and  could  not  defend  himself.  .  .  ." 
This  was  against  the  advice  of  his  minister  Gattinara, 
who  urged  Charles  to  crush  France  beyond  hope  of 
recovery,  for  no  oath  or  promise  would  ever  be  kept 
by  that  perfidious  nation.  But  Lannoy,  who  appre- 
ciated the  difficulties  of  maintaining  and  feeding  a 
great  mercenary  army,  strongly  advised  peace  with 
France,  and  eagerly  seconded  the  suggestion  of 
Fran9ois  that  he  should  be  sent  to  Spain  in  order 
to  discuss  conditions  in  person  with  the  Emperor. 
The  French  King  was  the  more  anxious  to  do  this, 
as  he  had  already  received  a  memoir  on  the  subject 
of  conditions  of  peace  which  he  could  not  accept. 
One  point  on  which  Charles  was  firm  was  his  claim 
to  Burgundy,  which  had  been  taken  by  force  from 


BATTLE  OF  PA  VIA  101 

his  grandmother  Marie  of  Burgundy  on  the  death 
of  her  father  Duke  Charles  the  Bold.  He  also  de- 
manded all  that  had  been  once  ceded  by  the  treaties 
of  Conflans  and  Peronne ;  the  King  of  France  was  to 
resign  his  claims  in  Italy,  and  he  was  to  restore  to  the 
Due  de  Bourbon  all  his  privileges  and  his  dominions. 

This  last  clause  Fran9ois  was  wilhng  to  grant 
with  careless  indifference,  but  nothing  would  induce 
him  to  give  up  Burgundy.  He  hoped  great  things 
from  a  meeting  with  Charles,  as  he  had  much  faith 
in  his  powers  of  persuasion ;  but  it  was  some  time 
before  the  Emperor  was  wilhng  to  see  his  prisoner. 
The  King  was  kept  waiting  near  Valencia  for  two 
months  and  it  was  not  until  August  17  that  he  was 
taken  to  the  Alcazar  at  Madrid.  The  hoped-for 
interview  with  Charles  was  still  delayed,  but  the 
ambassadors  sent  by  Louise  of  Savoie,  now  Eegent 
of  France,  had  already  arrived  at  Toledo,  the  seat 
of  the  Spanish  Court.  Their  instructions  were  not 
to  give  up  any  territory,  but  to  offer  a  ransom  and 
to  suggest  a  marriage  of  the  King  of  France  with 
Eleonore  of  Portugal,  sister  of  the  Emperor.  The 
gentle,  neglected  Queen  Claude  had  died  the  previous 
year,  during  her  husband's  absence  in  Italy. 

As  the  negotiations  made  no  progress,  a  safe-con- 
duct was  asked  for  the  King's  sister  Marguerite  of 
Alen9on,  to  come  to  Spain,  and  this  was  granted, 
although  the  Emperor  repeated  that  her  coming 
would  be  useless  unless  she  had  power  to  give  up 
Burgundy.  She  arrived  on  September  19,  the  day 
after  the  first  visit  Charles  had  paid  to  his  royal 
prisoner,  who  was  ill  in  bed.    It  had  been  a  most 


102  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

friendly  meeting  on  both  sides,  and  there  had  been 
discussion  of  conditions.  It  seems  that  the  EngHsh 
ambassadors  were  much  alarmed  at  the  coming  of 
this  princess,  for  they  said :  **  Being  young  and  a 
widow,  as  Ovid  says  of  women  who  go  to  play,  to 
see  and  to  be  seen ;  and  perhaps  the  Emperor  may  like 
her.  ..."  But  there  was  no  foundation  for  this  fear, 
as,  although  he  courteously  kissed  the  fair  lady  and 
granted  her  private  interviews,  she  had  no  influence 
of  any  kind  over  him.  As  he  always  declared,  he 
only  wanted  his  own  when  he  laid  claim  to  Burgundy, 
which  was  so  positively  refused. 

The  French  Government  was  willing  to  yield  all 
claims  in  Italy,  and  to  resign  the  suzerainty  of  Artois 
and  Flanders.  They  seriously  considered  the  question 
of  an  alliance  with  Madame  Eleonore,  which  L  annoy 
strongly  urged.  When  the  Emperor  mentioned  that 
she  was  promised  to  Bourbon,  the  Viceroy  schemed 
that  the  princess  should  be  asked  whether  she  would 
rather  be  Queen  of  France  or  the  wife  of  a  fugitive 
Duke.  She  gave  her  preference  to  the  first,  as  he 
expected.  Charles  appears  to  have  been  troubled 
on  account  of  Bourbon,  who  was  invited  to  Spain 
and  treated  with  almost  princely  honours ;  but  the 
Duke  made  no  secret  of  his  bitter  disappointment  at 
the  proposed  alliance,  and  the  loss  of  his  promised 
bride. 

Fran5ois,  meanwhile,  was  growing  so  sick  of  his  im- 
prisomnent  and  so  nervous  about  his  health,  that  he 
formed  the  desperate  plan  of  agreeing  to  everything 
that  was  demanded  by  the  Emperor,  with  the  definite 
intention  of  breaking  all  his  pledges.     Thus  it  came 


BATTLE   OF  PAVIA  103 

to  pass  that  the  Treaty  of  Madrid  was  signed  on 
January  13,  1526.  By  this,  all  claim  to  Itahan  pro- 
vinces was  resigned,  the  suzerainty  of  Flanders,  Artois, 
and  Tournay  was  given  up,  as  well  as  places  taken  on 
the  frontiers  of  the  Netherlands,  and  Frangois 
promised  not  to  help  Charles  of  Guelders  or  Henri 
d'Albret.  The  Due  de  Bourbon  was  to  have  all  his 
dominions  restored  to  him,  and,  with  regard  to  the 
cession  of  Burgundy,  the  King  promised  to  persuade 
the  French  Parhament  to  agree  to  it,  or,  if  he  failed, 
he  would  himself  return  to  prison  in  Spain.  Mass 
was  said,  and  before  the  altar  Fran9ois  swore  upon 
the  Gospel  to  keep  his  word,  and  he  also  gave  his 
word  of  honour  as  a  knight  to  return  to  captivity 
within  six  weeks  if  the  treaty  were  not  scrupulously 
carried  out.  This  was  a  formal  and  dehberate  he, 
as  he  had  told  the  French  ambassadors  his  intention 
the  day  before. 

When  all  had  been  thus  apparently  settled,  a  few 
days  were  spent  in  intimate  friendship  between  the 
two  sovereigns ;  and  on  February  16  they  rode  to 
Illescas,  near  Madrid,  where  the  Princess  Eleonore 
had  already  arrived  ;  there  were  stately  entertain- 
ments, and  the  alliance  was  looked  upon  as  a  settled 
fact.  Once  more  the  French  King  renewed  his  oath 
as  he  took  leave  of  the  Emperor,  who  was  on  the 
point  of  going  to  Seville  for  his  marriage  with  Isabel 
of  Portugal.  "  Then,  the  18th  day  of  March,  the 
King,  accompanied  by  the  Viceroy,  Captain  d'Alargon, 
and  fifty  horse,  came  to  the  shore  of  the  river  that 
divideth  the  realm  of  France  from  the  kingdom  of 
Spain,  at  the  same  time  M.  de  Lautrec,  with  the  King's 


f 


104  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

cliildreii  and  the  same  number  of  horse,  presenting 
themselves  on  the  other  side.  .  .  /'  As  soon  as  the 
two  hostages,  the  Dauphin  aged  eight  and  his  younger 
brother,  had  been  given  into  the  care  of  the  Spanish 
nobles,  Frangois  sprang  ashore,  mounted  a  swift 
horse,  and  rode  at  full  speed  to  Bayonne,  where  the 
French  Court  had  come  to  meet  him.  He  had  a  gay 
time,  and  felt  no  scruple  with  regard  to  the  dehberate 
treachery  which  he  was  about  to  proclaim  to  the  world. 
Meanwhile,  with  a  tranquil  mind,  Charles  travelled 
south  for  the  wedding  with  his  cousin  Isabel, 
which  had  long  been  the  desire  of  his  subjects,  who 
welcomed  it  with  enthusiasm.  The  princess  brought 
a  dowry  of  a  milhon  ducats ;  she  proved  herself  a 
charming  and  capable  wife,  whom  he  grew  to  appre- 
ciate and  love  with  deep  affection.  He  was  fortunate 
indeed  to  make  such  a  happy  marriage  of  his  own 
choice  after  the  many  political  betrothals  which  had 
been  forced  upon  him  from  his  earhest  childhood. 
The  ceremony  took  place  in  March,  and  the  honey- 
moon was  spent  in  Cordova,  Granada,  and  on  the 
beautiful  liiU  of  the  Alhambra,  where  the  Emperor 
began  to  build  a  magnificent  palace,  never  completed 
to  this  day.  One  result  of  his  southern  visit  was 
that  he  suspended  an  order  of  the  Inquisition  against 
the  Moors  of  Granada,  who  had  recently  been  treated 
with  great  severity.  Possibly  he  was  wanting  in 
imagination  and  did  not  reahze  rumours  of  oppres- 
sion from  afar,  but  any  personal  appeal  against  harsh- 
ness or  injustice  was  never  made  to  him  in  vain. 


CHAPTER  IX 

TREACHERY  OF  FRANCOIS  AND  THE  POPE — SACK  OF 
ROME — PEACE  OF  CAMBRAI 

Fran§oia  I  repudiates  all  his  solemn  engagements  and  joins  the  League 
against  Charles  V — Vacillation  and  treachery  of  Pope  Clement 
VII — The  Colonna  Raid — Battle  of  Mohacs,  defeat  of  Louis  of 
Hungary  by  the  Turks  and  his  death — Frundsberg  and  his  German 
levies  invade  Italy — Bourbon  advances  against  Rome — Warning 
sent  to  the  Pope — Death  of  Bourbon — Sack  of  Rome — Turn  of 
the  tide  of  war — Imperial  success — Peace  of  Cambrai — Charles 
crowned  at  Bologna  by  Clement  VII. 

The  Emperor  was  alone  in  trusting  that  the  French 
King  would  keep  his  solemn  vows ;  all  the  other 
rulers  and  statesmen  in  Europe  knew  his  character, 
and  were  prepared  for  his  shameful  perjury.  On 
gaining  his  freedom,  his  first  step  was  to  repudiate 
the  Treaty  of  Madrid  as  having  been  forced  upon  him, 
and  to  open  negotiations  on  all  sides  for  war  against 
Charles.  But  he  was  too  much  absorbed  in  luxurious 
pleasures  to  take  any  personal  action,  and  it  was  not 
until  the  following  May,  1526,  that  the  League  of 
Cognac  was  concluded  in  which  the  Pope,  Florence, 
Venice,  and  Francesco  Sforza  of  Milan  joined  with 
France.  Henry  VIII  gave  fair  words  and  declared 
that  "  he  would  not  fail  Italy,"  but  he  did  nothing 
more. 

The  Emperor  was  most  indignant  both  with  the 

105 


106  A  GKEAT  EMPEROR 

treachery  of  rran9ois  I  a  ad  the  dupUcity  of  Clement 
VII,  who  actually  invited  him  to  join  the  League  on 
such  terms  that  Charles  declared  they  were  meant 
for  his  destruction.     In  self-defence,  he  wrote  a  letter 
fully  stating  the  evil  deeds  of  the  Pope,  which  he 
caused  to  be  printed  in  Spain,  Germany,  and  the 
Netherlands.     All  his  eiiorts  were  needed  in  Italy, 
where  Bourbon  had  succeeded  Pescara  in  command 
of  the  imperial  forces.     He  was  able  to  defeat  the 
Sforza  power  and  to  take  possession  of  the  duchy  of 
Milan,  which  was  to  be  given  him  by  Charles,  who 
now  vainly  tried  to  make  peace  with  Clement  VII. 
For  this  purpose,  he  had  sent  as  envoy,  Ugo  de  Mon- 
cada,  a  certain  fiery  old    captain  who  had    served 
under  Caesar  Borgia,  and  who,  when  he  met  with  no 
success  at  the  Vatican,  turned  to  the  Colonna  family, 
and   made   common   cause   with   them   against   the 
Pope.     On  September  20  the  Colonna,  having  raised 
8,000  peasants  in  their  dominions,  marched  against 
Rome,  were  joined  by  some  Spanish  troops  under 
Moncada,  and  entered  the  city  by  the  Lateran  gate. 
Clement  VII  was  taken  by  surprise  and  fled  to  the 
fortress  of  Sant'Angelo  with  most  of  his  cardinals, 
while  the  Vatican  and  other  palaces  were  looted.    In 
abject  terror,  the  Pope  sent  for  Moncada  and  pro- 
mised  to  withdraw  from  the  League,  to  withdraw 
his    troops   from   Lombardy,    and    to    pardon    the 
Colonna. 

But  when  once  the  danger  was  over,  Clement  made 
no  scruple  of  breaking  his  word.  He  sent  for  some 
of  his  army,  but  at  once  made  use  of  them  to  storm 
the  castles    of    the    Colonna    and    carry  desolation 


TREACHERY  107 

amongst  their  helpless  peasants  with  **  cruelty  worse 
than  that  of  the  Turks  in  Hungary/'  We  learn  from 
Castiglione,  the  Papal  envoy  at  the  Court  of  Spain, 
that  it  was  with  horror  and  dismay  that  the  Em- 
peror heard  of  the  raid  upon  Rome  and  the  Vatican. 
At  that  very  time,  Charles  was  in  deep  distress  at 
the  recent  news  of  an  overwhelming  disaster  to  all 
Christendom,  the  defeat  and  death  of  Louis  of 
Hungary  with  his  whole  army  on  the  fatal  field  of 
Mohacs.  This  gallant  young  prince  was  the  husband 
of  Marie,  sister  of  the  Emperor,  and  his  had  been  the 
stern  task  of  defending  Hungary,  so  long  the  frontier 
kingdom  and  bulwark  of  Europe  against  the  Turk, 
whose  victory  placed  the  whole  of  Christendom  in  peril. 
A  messenger  had  arrived  from  Ferdinand,  who  had 
married  Anne  of  Hungary,  sister  of  the  unfortunate 
King  Louis,  saying  that  he  "  fears  Austria  will  be 
lost,"  and  imploring  immediate  help  from  his  brother 
Charles. 

We  can  quite  understand  that  this  awful  catastrophe 
threw  all  else  into  the  shade,  and  what  a  deadly  reahty 
it  was  to  the  Emperor,  whose  whole  heart  had  been 
so  long  set  on  inducing  all  the  sovereigns  of  Europe 
to  join  him  in  a  crusade  against  the  infidel.  With 
immense  difficulty  he  had  already  sent  some  troops 
to  help  his  brother-in-law,  but  they  arrived  too  late. 
And  now  he  knew  not  where  to  turn,  with  war  in 
Europe  on  every  side,  an  empty  purse,  and  the  know- 
ledge that  the  King  of  France  was  a  traitor  to  the 
cause  of  Christendom,  and  had  not  only  made  an 
alliance  with  the  Sultan  but  had  suggested  the 
invasion  of  Hungary.    So  bitter  was  the  Emperor 


108  A  GREAT  EMPEROB 

against  Frangois,  and  his  double  perjury,  that  he 
actually  suggested  a  duel  between  the  two,  in  which 
he  beheved  "  that  God  would  show  His  justice  with- 
out exposing  so  many  Christians  to  death." 

Meanwhile  the  plot  was  thickening  in  Italy  and  the 
Pope,  in  his  bhndness  and  folly,  his  vacillation  and 
treachery,  was  bringing  down  upon  himself  swift  and 
fatal  retribution.  A  new  element  had  entered  into 
the  tangled  pohtics  of  distracted  Italy.  The  Due  de 
Bourbon,  seeing  the  desperate  need  for  men  and 
money,  sought  for  a  new  opening  in  Germany.  Some 
of  the  Lutheran  princes,  grateful  for  a  measure  of 
tolerance  on  the  part  of  the  Emperor,  encouraged 
their  dependents  to  join  his  cause,  more  especially  as 
Bourbon  pointed  out  that  he  was  fighting  against 
Papal  oppression,  and  also  that  the  cities  of  Italy  were 
full  of  untold  wealth.  Georg  von  Frundsberg,  Prince 
of  Mindelheim,  collected  a  mixed  army  of  Swabians, 
Bavarians,  and  Tyrolese,  besides  a  strong  contingent 
of  sturdy  landsknechte. 

In  November  1526  these  German  levies  set  forth 
and  crossed  over  to  Italy  by  some  httle-known 
passes  between  the  Lakes  of  Garda  and  Idro,  reaching 
Frosinone  on  December  1.  Here  they  were  decoyed 
by  Federico  of  Mantua  into  the  swampy  ground  on 
the  banks  of  the  Po,  near  Governolo,  and  were  sud- 
denly attacked  by  Giovanni  delle  Bande  Nere,  with 
his  famous  bands,  the  pick  of  the  Pope's  army  ;  but, 
by  their  splendid  steadiness,  the  landsknechte  escaped 
from  the  trap.  The  gallant  Giovanni,  the  greatest 
soldier  Italy  had  ever  known,  was  mortally  wounded 
by  a  ball  from  one  of  those  new  pieces  of  artillery 


TREACHERY  109 

which  he  at  once  despised  and  hated  as  contrary  to 
all  knightly  warfare. 

It  is  difficult  to  understand  the  cautious  pohcy  of 
the  Duke  of  Urbino,  who  was  Captain-General  of  the 
Papal  forces,  for  he  might  have  prevented  the  meeting 
of  the  army  of  Frundsberg  with  that  of  Bourbon, 
which  took  place  at  Fiorenzuola  on  February  7, 
after  which  the  combined  host  passed  on  southwards, 
living  on  the  country,  for  they  were  almost  destitute 
of  money  or  supphes.  They  reached  San  Giovanni, 
near  Bologna,  at  the  end  of  February,  and  remained 
here  for  several  weeks  in  torrents  of  rain,  until  a 
mutiny  broke  out  from  scarcity  of  food,  and  the 
soldiers  clamoured,  with  furious  threats,  for  their 
pay.  In  vain  Frundsberg  tried  to  pacify  them  with 
words  of  hope  and  promise,  but  they  took  no  heed, 
and  the  shock  of  this  awful  moment  was  too  much 
for  the  veteran  leader.  His  words  failed,  he  lost 
consciousness,  and  fell  back,  suddenly  stricken  with 
apoplexy.  He  was  borne  on  a  htter  to  Ferrara,  and 
hngered  for  a  while  until  death  brought  release.  It 
was  a  terrible  position  in  which  Bourbon  found  him- 
self with  this  rebelhous  host,  for  whom  he  was  now 
responsible,  although,  in  fact,  he  was  their  servant 
and  not  their  master. 

This  was  the  condition  of  the  camp  when  the 
Emperor's  ambassador  arrived  with  news  that  a 
treaty  had  been  made  with  the  Pope,  but  the  Spanish 
and  German  mercenaries  were  furious  at  the  idea  of 
losing  everything  after  all  they  had  endured,  and  the 
envoy,  Ferramosca,  had  to  flee  for  his  hfe.  The  army 
clamoured  to  go  forward,  and  Bourbon  had  no  power 


110  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

to  check  the  tumultuous  advance  towards  the  valley 
of  the  Arno.  On  April  21  Lannoy  met  the  army 
with  100,000  ducats  which  he  had  raised  wdth  immense 
difficulty,  but  they  now  demanded  twice  the  amount. 
Florence  was  threatened,  but  the  army  of  the  League 
was  at  hand,  and  the  motley  host  turned  aside  over 
the  passes  of  the  Apennines,  by  the  great  high-road 
to  Rome.  Bourbon  sent  a  messenger  to  the 
Pope  on  April  7,  saying  that  the  troops  were 
determined  to  advance,  and  he  was  a  prisoner  in 
their  midst.  Even  then,  no  one  beheved  in  the 
danger  of  the  situation.  Indeed  Clement  was  so  full 
of  confidence  that,  on  April  23,  he  actually  revoked 
the  treaty  he  had  made  with  Lannoy,  and  again 
joined  the  League.  It  was  generally  thought  that  a 
hostile  manifestation  might  be  made  against  Rome 
and  money  demanded,  but  that  the  barbarian  host 
would  pass  on  to  Naples. 

On  May  4  Bourbon  and  the  forces  had  passed 
beyond  Viterbo,  and  he  sent  a  messenger  to  the  Pope, 
hoping  to  receive  terms  of  peace  and  an  offer  of 
money.  But  no  reply  was  sent  to  this  last  appeal, 
and  the  fate  of  Rome  was  sealed.  The  attack  began 
on  May  6  on  the  Vatican  hill,  between  the  gates  of 
San  Spirito  and  San  Pancrazio,  where  Charles  de 
Bourbon  led  the  way,  seizing  a  ladder  and  calhng  on 
his  men  to  follow  him,  when  he  was  struck  by  a  shot 
from  an  arquebus  and  fell,  mortally  wounded. 

The  Prince  of  Orange  now  took  the  command,  but 
the  soldiers,  maddened  by  their  long  privations  fol- 
lowed by  this  sudden  success,  were  beyond  all  con- 
trol, and  the  scenes  which  followed  were  past  all 


TREACHERY  111 

description.  The  Pope,  with  some  of  his  cardinals, 
had  barely  time  to  take  refuge  in  the  fortress  of 
Sant'  Angelo.  For  eight  days  the  reign  of  terror  con- 
tinued unchecked,  for  Bourbon  alone  might  have  had 
restraining  power ;  more  than  4,000  people  are  said 
to  have  perished,  while  all  who  could  escaped  by  flight.^ 
Yet  the  sack  of  Rome  was  but  the  concentrated 
horror  and  final  seal  of  all  that  Italy  had  suffered 
since  the  fatal  coming  of  the  French  King,  Charles 
VIII,  had  let  loose  the  flood  of  woes  untold. 

The  Emperor  was  at  ValladoHd  in  the  midst  of 
the  rejoicings  on  the  birth  of  his  son  Phihp,  when 
news  of  the  siege  and  sack  of  Rome  was  brought  by 
the  Imperial  Commissioner,  and  caused  him  unfeigned 
dismay  and  horror.  He  was  deeply  distressed  to 
hear  of  the  desecration  of  holy  places  and  sacred  tilings, 
and  to  learn  that  Spanish  soldiers  had  shown  no 
more  respect  for  them  than  the  Lutheran  fanatics 
who  looked  upon  the  war  as  a  reHgious  crusade 
against  "  the  new  Babylon,  the  city  of  abominations.'* 

It  is  interesting,  at  this  point,  to  consider  how  far 
Charles  was  responsible  for  the  tragic  event.  In 
the  first  place,  we  must  remember  that,  in  those  days 
of  slow  travel,  communication  between  Spain  and 
Italy  took  many  weeks  ;  for  instance,  a  Papal  Brief 
of  June  23,  1526,  did  not  reach  Granada  until 
August  30.  Thus  not  until  Rome  had  fallen  did  the 
Emperor  know  that  Bourbon  and  the  army  were 
actually  on  the  march  towards  the  city.  Weeks 
would  elapse  between  his  receiving  news  from  his 

^  For  a  full  account  of  the  siege  and  sack  of  Borne,  see  "  Charles 
de  Bourbon,"  by  C.  Hare. 


112  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

generals,  and  any  orders  which  he  could  send  them; 
thus  he  certainly  cannot  be  blamed  for  leaving  much 
to  their  discretion.  During  all  those  eventful  early 
months  of  1527,  Charles  undoubtedly  hoped  to  come 
to  terms  with  the  Pope  by  a  show  of  force  ;  for  even 
as  late  as  April  23,  a  fortnight  before  the  siege,  he 
sent  Bourbon  full  powers  to  treat  with  Clement  VII, 
and  had  every  hope  in  the  success  of  his  negotiations. 

The  Emperor  never  made  war  if  he  could  help  it, 
and  now  his  desire  for  peace  was  the  more  earnest 
as  he  was  single-handed  against  all  the  sovereigns  of 
Europe  combined  in  the  League  against  him.  He 
even  condescended  to  write  a  letter  to  the  various 
Courts,  explaining  that  the  sad  event  had  been 
**  beyond  his  knowledge  and  against  his  wish,"  and 
that  he  would  "  rather  not  have  won  the  victory  than 
that  this  should  happen."  In  his  own  private 
Memoirs  he  writes  that  "  he  had  been  constrained, 
for  his  own  defence,  to  send  many  men-of-war  by 
whom  he  had  not  been  well  obeyed."  He  assured 
Castighone,  the  Pope's  Nuncio,  that  Bourbon  was 
not  a  free  agent,  but  was  borne  onwards  by  the 
desperate  host,  whom  he  hoped  he  might  be  able  to 
restrain  by  his  presence.  Nor  can  Charles  be  blamed 
for  the  tragic  death,  in  the  moment  of  victory,  of  the 
one  general  who  might  have  kept  control  over  the 
wild  passions  of  the  men  who  had  followed  him  from 
their  distant  homes. 

As  for  Clement  VII,  as  he  had  kept  faith  with  no 
one,  he  could  expect  trust  from  none.  When  he 
took  the  sword  in  hand,  he  was  bound  to  accept 
the  fortune  and  peril  of  war.    Least  of  all  could  he 


t  c  •  * 

cc  c  c 

c      o 


>  t  t  « 

t   •  c  * 

••. 

(>  c  «  c 


TEEACHERY  113 

look  for  consideration  from  the  Emperor,  when  he 
had  taken  the  side  of  his  bitter  enemy  rran9ois  I, 
to  whom  he  had  even  given  a  dispensation  for 
his  perjury.  In  the  treatment  ahke  of  friend  and 
foe,  Clement  had  shown  himself  absolutely  faithless 
and  unrehable,  so  that  it  was  clear  to  the  world  that 
the  only  means  of  compelhng  him  to  keep  his  word 
was  by  the  stern  disciphne  of  fear. 

A  difficult  question  remained  before  the  Emperor  : 
he  was  anxious  to  release  the  Pope,  and  strong  pres- 
sure was  put  upon  him  by  his  confessor,  Quinones, 
"  to  redress  the  wrongs  of  the  Pontiff  '' ;  but  he  could 
not  give  up  all  that  he  had  won  by  the  dearly-bought 
victory.  After  much  negotiation,  a  compromise  was 
arrived  at  in  a  treaty  on  November  26,  by  which 
the  Papal  States  were  to  be  restored,  although  some 
of  them  were  held  as  pledges,  as  well  as  hostages 
to  ensure  the  payment  of  enough  money  to  pay  off 
the  invading  army.  But  the  terms  had  not  been 
fully  carried  out  before  the  Pope  made  his  escape 
to  Orvieto,  where  he  could  trust  to  French  protec- 
tion, as  Lautrec,  the  French  general,  had  large  forces 
in  Central  Italy.  By  the  Peace  of  Amiens,  signed 
in  August,  France  and  England  had  made  common 
cause  on  the  side  of  the  Pope,  who  had  to  be  con- 
cihated  that  he  might  consent  to  the  divorce  of 
Henry  VIII  from  Katharine  of  Aragon. 

It  was  a  critical  moment  for  Charles ;  every 
ItaHan  State  was  against  him,  and  he  had  lost  the 
command  of  the  sea,  for  the  fleet  commanded  by 
Moncada  was  defeated  by  the  Genoese,  who  had  gone 
over  to  France.  The  Imperial  general,  Antonio  de 
8 


114  A  GEEAT  EMPEROR 

Ley\^a,  held  Milan  with  the  utmost  difficulty  as  his 
troops  were  without  ammunition  or  pay,  while  the 
Prince  of  Orange  in  Naples  found  himself  in  much 
the  same  case.     The  Emperor  could  not  send  money, 
even  if  he  could  raise  it,  for  the  only  banking  cities, 
Florence,  Venice,  and  Genoa,  were  all  his  enemies. 
But  in  this  hour  of  his  deepest  need  help  came  from 
an  unexpected   quarter.     Frangois  I,   by   liis   care- 
less levity  and  folly,  lost  the  key  of  the  situation. 
He  sent  no  help  to  Lautrec,  spending  money  reck- 
lessly on  his  personal  pleasures  when  his  army  was 
starving,  and  he  so  insulted  the  Genoese  that  Andrea 
Doria  entered  the  service  of  the  Emperor,  and  soon 
the  tide  of  fortune  turned.     The  sea-power  was  now 
in  the  hands  of  Spain,  and  so  remained  with  but  a 
brief  interval  of  the  later  pirate  raids  supported  by 
France.     Genoa  was  of  priceless  value  as  a  gate  to 
Italy,  and  a  centre  of  banking  to  the  rulers  of  Spain. 
Other    disasters    followed    for    the   French ;     the 
death  of  Lautrec  from  the  plague,   which  ravaged 
the  French  camp  before  Naples,  and   soon  after  the 
French    army    was    compelled    to    capitulate.     On 
June  20,  1529,  the  Spanish  general,  Leyva,  waylaid 
and  defeated  the  troops  under  St.  Pol,  and  definitely 
ensured  the  possession  of  Milan  for  the  Emperor. 
Both  sides  were  now  weary  of  the  long  strife,  and  it 
was  Marguerite  of  Austria,  Governor  of  the  Nether- 
lands, who  suggested  to  her  nephew  Charles  that 
she  and  the  mother  of  the  French  King,  Louise  de 
Savoie,  should  meet  and  discuss  terms  of  peace.     This 
was  finally  agreed  upon,  and  the  neutral  city  of  Cam- 
brai  was  chosen  as  the  place  of   meeting,  the  two 


TREACHERY  115 

princesses,  with  their  suites,  arriving  there  on  July  5, 
after  some  months  of  negotiation.  The  Congress 
was  a  splendid  gathering  of  spiritual  and  temporal 
lords,  boasting  of  four  sovereign  princes,  eight  car- 
dinals, ten  archbishops,  thirty-three  bishops,  eighty- 
seven  dukes  and  counts,  and  four  hundred  nobles 
of  lower  rank. 

These  were  the  terms  of  peace,  in  which  Charles 
and  Frangois  made  a  final  compromise  :  The  mar- 
riage between  the  French  King  and  Eleonore  was  to 
be  carried  out ;  two  milhons  of  crowns  were  to  be 
paid  as  the  ransom  of  the  young  French  princes, 
while  the  Emperor  reserved  his  rights  to  Burgundy, 
still  held  by  Franyois,  who  resigned  all  claims 
to  Italy,  and  gave  up  the  suzerainty  of  Flanders 
and  Artois.  No  demand  was  made  for  restitution 
to  the  heirs  of  Bourbon  and  Orange,  while  the  French 
King  pledged  himself  not  to  support  the  Duke  of 
Guelders  or  Robert  de  la  Marck.  This  Treaty  of  ' 
Cambrai,  commonly  known  as  "  The  Ladies'  Peace,'* 
was  solemnly  proclaimed  in  the  Cathedral  on 
August  3,  1529. 

It  really  seemed  as  if  universal  peace  in  Europe 
were  at  hand,  for  already,  on  June  29,  the  Treaty  of 
Barcelona  had  been  signed  by  Emperor  and  Pope, 
on  such  terms  that  Charles  ardently  hoped  the  time 
had  come  for  a  crusade  against  the  Turks.  Having 
so  far  prepared  the  way,  he  now  set  forth  on  his 
long-postponed  visit  to  Italy.  On  arriving  at  Genoa, 
he  had  a  splendid  reception  from  the  Signoria  and 
the  populace,  as  he  landed  in  stately  white  attire, 
followed  by  his  household  guards  of  three  nations, 


116  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

Spanish,  German,  and  Flemish,  From  Genoa  he 
travelled  through  Piacenza  to  Parma,  where  he  re- 
ceived the  welcome  news  of  the  victory  over  the 
Turks  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Vienna.  It  had 
been  arranged  that  he  should  be  crowned  Emperor 
by  the  Pope  at  Bologna,  and  he  made  a  kind  of 
triumphal  progress  towards  that  city,  receiving 
homage  everywhere  on  his  way. 

The  coronation  of  Charles  V  took  place  on 
February  24,  1530,  his  birthday  and  the  anniversary 
of  the  victory  of  Pavia,  and  appears  to  have  been  a 
magnificent  pageant.  The  ancient  city  was  gaily 
decorated,  and  there  was  a  stately  procession  to  the 
Church  of  San  Petronio  of  the  rector  and  doctors 
of  the  university  in  their  purple  robes,  fur  collars, 
and  gold  chains,  followed  by  the  bishops  in  violet 
copes  and  mitres,  the  cardinals  in  scarlet  silk  and 
lace  in  attendance  on  the  Pope,  borne  in  his  golden 
chair  of  state  by  his  guards  in  red  liveries.  The 
coming  of  the  Emperor  was  proclaimed  by  his 
heralds  with  a  flourish  of  trumpets,  and  he  wore  his 
robes  of  empire  and  a  flowing  mantle  of  gold  brocade 
over  his  armour  inlaid  with  gold,  riding  a  Spanish 
genet.  In  his  mihtary  suite,  the  most  striking 
figures  were  the  men-at-arms  of  Burgundy,  clad  in 
white  armour,  wearing  rich  mantles,  and  mounted 
on  beautiful  horses.  Charles  went  through  the 
solemn  ceremonial  in  the  Cathedral ;  he  had  re- 
ceived the  iron  crown  of  Lombardy,  and  was  in- 
vested with  the  imperial  insignia  and  crowned  with 
the  diadem  of  Empire  by  Clement  VII,  and  the 
heralds  proclaimed  him  "  Emperor  of  the  Romans 


TEEACHERY  117 

and  Lord  of  tlie  whole  world/^  Never  had  Bologna 
seen  such  a  gathering  of  nobles  from  Spain,  from  the 
Netherlands  and  Italy,  while  the  square  round  the 
Cathedral  was  guarded  by  3,000  landsknechte,  3,000 
Spanish  arquebusiers,  and  300  Italian  soldiers. 

The  greater  part  of  Italy  was  now  at  the  feet  of 
the  Emperor ;  he  had  received  homage  from  the 
Duke  of  Milan,  and  the  Dukes  of  Ferrara  and  Urbino ; 
he  had  made  peace  with  Venice,  who  gave  back  her 
conquests  and  paid  a  war  indemnity.  Only  Florence 
remained  firm,  and  refused  to  receive  the  Medici. 
This  was  really  the  quarrel  of  Clement  VII,  who 
was  implored  by  Charles  to  be  merciful  and  to  save 
his  native  city  from  destruction ;  but  he  was  un- 
relenting, and  a  ten  months'  siege  was  needed  to 
subdue  the  City  of  the  Lily. 


CHAPTER   X 

DIET    OF    AUGSBURG — CAMPAIGN    OF    CHARLES    IN 

ALGIERS 

Diet  of  Augsburg,  June  1530 — The  Emperor's  efforts  for  conciliation 
between  Catholics  and  Reformers — Death  of  Marguerite  of 
Austria,  Regent  of  the  Netherlands — Her  niece  Marie  of  Hun- 
gary succeeds  to  her  duties — Ferdinand  elected  "  King  of  the 
Romans  " — Charles  V  returns  to  Spain,  1533 — He  heads  the  cam- 
paign in  Algiers — Taking  of  Goletta  and  later  of  Tunis — The 
Emperor  hailed  as  the  "  Saviour  of  Europe." 

Before  taking  leave  of  the  Pope  at  Bologna,  "  the 

Emperor  besought  him — as  a  most  important  and 

necessary  thing,  to  remedy   the   evils  in   Germany 

and  to  fight  against  the  errors  which  were  increasing 

in  Christendom— that  he  would  convoke  a  General 

Council,  the  only  means  of  curing  these  evils."     Thus 

wrote  Charles  in  his  private  Memoirs ;  but  a  Council 

was   the    one   thing   which   Clement    VII    dreaded. 

However,  he  promised  to  send  a  Legate  to  the  coming 

Diet  of  Augsburg,  for  which  summonses  were  being 

issued  throughout  the  States  of  Germany  "  praying 

both  CathoHcs  and  Lutherans  to  put  away  all  that 

was  not  right,  and  to  join  in  one  true  rehgion." 

Passing  through  Mantua  and  the  territory  of 
Venice,  Charles  crossed  the  Brenner  and  for  the  first 
time  beheld  the  beautiful  mountains  of  the  Tyrol, 

118 


DIET  OF  AUGSBURG  119 

so  dear  to  his  grandfather  Maximilian.  He  was 
warmly  welcomed  at  Innsbriick  by  the  Bavarian 
princes,  and  was  joined  by  his  brother  Ferdinand, 
now  King  of  Hungary  and  Bohemia,  fresh  from  his 
successful  repulse  of  the  Turks  at  Vienna.  The 
friendly  feehng  between  the  two  brothers,  who  had 
never  met  until  they  were  nearly  grown  up,  had 
increased  very  much  of  late  years,  and  now  Charles 
was  anxious  to  make  arrangements  for  the  succession 
of  Ferdinand  to  the  Empire.  His  own  son  Philip 
was  a  child  of  three  at  this  time,  and  it  is  probable 
that  the  Emperor  already  felt  that  his  world-wide 
dominion  was  too  great  a  responsibihty  to  be  laid 
upon  the  shoulders  of  one  man.  As  he  was  himself 
now  fully  crowned  *'  Emperor  of  the  Eomans,"' 
with  every  pomp  and  ceremony,  his  idea  was  that 
his  brother  should  be  elected  King  of  the  Romans, 
and  so  make  sure  of  his  succession  in  due  time  to 
the  Empire. 

At  Innsbriick  Charles  received  news  of  the  death 
of  his  minister  Gattinara,  in  whom  he  lost  a  faithful 
and  devoted  friend  ;  the  Imperial  Seal  was  given 
to  Granvelle,  a  man  of  letters,  who  was  useful  to 
Charles  in  his  foreign  diplomacy.  From  Innsbriick 
the  imperial  party  travelled  on  to  Augsburg,  which 
was  reached  on  the  eve  of  Corpus  Christi,  and  they 
took  part  in  the  solemn  procession  on  the  feast-day. 
The  Diet  opened  on  June  25,  and  the  royal  speech 
began  by  asking  for  a  subsidy  for  defence  against 
the  Turks.  After  this  there  followed  endless  theo- 
logical controversies,  which  were  made  more  bitter 
by  the  schism  in  the  Protestant  camp ;    one  side 


120  A    GKEAT  EMPEROR 

headed  by  Luther  and  the  other  by  the  Swiss  Zwingh, 
who  was  more  modern  and  tolerant,  a  humanist  as 
well  as  a  theologian.  Luther,  being  under  the  ban 
of  the  Empire,  could  not  appear  in  person,  and 
Melanchthon  took  his  place  with  his  celebrated 
*'  Confession,"  which  was  drawn  up  in  an  earnest 
attempt  to  approach  nearer  the  CathoHc  doctrine 
and  farther  from  that  of  Zwingh.  It  was  with 
great  difficulty  that  the  Protestant  princes  were 
persuaded  to  sign  this  mild  document,  but  they 
hoped  that  Charles  might  act  as  mediator,  and 
induce  the  Cathohcs  to  make  concessions. 

It  was  quite  true  that  no  one  desired  peace  more 
than  the  Emperor,  but  he  had  no  influence  with 
Campeggi,  the  Legate,  who  persisted  that  force  was 
the  only  remedy,  and  that  Charles  was  not  the  judge 
of  Catholic  doctrine  but  the  champion.  So  the 
weary  contest  went  on,  and  there  became  less  and 
less  hope  of  reconcihation,  while  the  Emperor  con- 
tinued to  Hsten  patiently  to  both  sides,  never  losing 
his  temper  and  never  giving  up  his  efforts  for  peace. 
Melanchthon  writes  that — 

"  More  glorious  and  marvellous  than  all  his  successes 
was  the  Emperor's  control  of  his  temper.  Never  a 
word  or  an  action  was  the  least  overbearing ;  there 
was  nothing  grasping,  not  a  sign  of  pride  or  cruelty. 
In  spite  of  every  efi'ort  to  anger  him,  he  hstened  to 
the  Lutherans  with  a  calm,  judicial  temper.  His 
private  Hfe  is  a  perfect  model  of  continence,  temper- 
ance, and  moderation." 

At  this  point  it  is  interesting  to  notice  the  modera- 


DIET  OF  AUGSBURG  121 

tion  and  almost  friendly  feeling  of  Luther  towards 
Charles.  Various  causes  had  combined  to  produce 
this  change.  In  the  days  of  the  great  revolt  of  the 
peasants  in  1525,  they  had  used  Luther's  teaching  as 
an  excuse  for  their  excesses,  making  the  "  freedom 
of  the  Gospel "  a  pretext  for  demanding  political 
and  social  freedom.  Alarmed  by  revolutionary  ideas 
on  every  side,  Luther  preached  submission  to  Charles 
in  matters  poHtical,  and  this  attitude  proved  of 
great  value  to  the  Emperor  for  many  years  to  come. 
On  his  journey  back  to  the  Netherlands,  he  lost  no 
opportunity  of  advocating  the  election  of  his  brother 
Ferdinand  as  King  of  the  Romans,  and  this  was 
decided  at  Cologne  before  the  end  of  the  year.  Here 
also  Charles  received  the  sad  news  of  the  death  of 
his  Aunt  Marguerite,  to  whom  he  was  so  deeply 
indebted  for  the  care  of  his  early  life,  and  for  the  devo- 
tion which  she  had  always  shown  to  his  interests 
as  Governor  of  the  Netherlands  for  so  many  years. 
She  wrote  him  a  touching  letter  of  farewell  on  the 
last  day  of  her  Hfe,  November  30,  1530  : 

"  MoNSEiGNEUR, — The  hour  is  come  when  I  can  no 
more  write  to  you  with  mine  own  hand,  for  I  find 
myself  so  ill  that  I  doubt  my  life  will  be  brief.  With 
a  quiet  conscience  and  resolved  to  bear  all  that  it 
may  please  God  to  send  me  j  with  no  regret  save 
the  privation  of  your  presence,  and  that  I  am  not 
able  to  see  and  speak  to  you  once  more  before  my 
death.  ...  I  leave  to  you  your  lands  of  *  pardega,' 
which  during  your  absence  I  have  not  only  kept 
as  you  gave  them  to  me  on  your  departure,  but 


122  A  GEEAT  EMPEROR 

greatly  augmented  ;  and  I  return  you  the  govern- 
ment of  the  same,  of  which  I  beHeve  that  I  have 
loyally  acquitted  myself,  so  that  I  hope  for  divine 
reward,  satisfaction  from  you,  Monseigneur,  and 
thanks  from  your  subjects  .  .  .  and  I  pray  Mon- 
seigneur, that  God  will  give  you  prosperity  and  long 
life.  .  .  .  Marguerite  a  Malines." 

Solemn  funeral  services  were  held  in  the  Cathedral 
of  Cologne,  in  the  presence  of  Charles  V,  Ferdinand, 
and  their  Court,  and  the  eloquent  Jean  Fabri  spoke 
the  praise  of  the  Archduchess  in  stately  Latin.  She 
was  laid  to  rest,  according  to  her  wish,  in  the  splendid 
church  of  Brou,  by  the  side  of  her  gallant  young 
husband,  Phihbert  of  Savoy,  whom  she  had  mourned 
during  a  quarter  of  a  century.^  Her  nephew  Charles 
felt  her  loss  very  deeply.  He  had  learnt  to  appre- 
ciate her  skill  and  devotion  as  a  ruler  so  well  that 
his  first  impulse  was  to  choose  his  sister  Marie,  the 
widowed  Queen  of  Hungary,  as  her  successor.  This 
scheme  he  carried  out  the  following  year,  although 
he  had  some  difficulty  in  persuading  Marie  to  under- 
take so  great  a  responsibihty. 

From  Cologne,  Charles  travelled  with  his  brother 
to  Aix-la-Chapelle,  and  here,  in  January  1531,  Ferdi- 
nand was  crowned  King  of  the  Romans  ;  this,  it  was 
hoped,  would  place  him  in  a  position  of  more  authority 
to  enforce  order  in  liis  dominions.  The  Emperor 
now  continued  his  journey  through  the  Netherlands, 
visiting  all  the  chief  cities  and  making  himself 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  their  condition  and 
1  See  "  Marguerite  of  Austria,"  by  Christopher  Hare. 


DIET  OF  AUGSBURG  123 

requirements.  Before  the  end  of  the  year  he  as- 
sembled all  the  States  and  presented  to  them  his 
sister,  the  widowed  Queen  of  Hungary,  as  their  new 
Governor.  She  had  already  shown  great  capacity  in 
deahng  with  the  troubled  condition  of  poUtical  affairs 
after  her  husband's  death,  and  in  the  time  to  come, 
she  fully  justified  her  brother's  choice.  The  estab- 
lishment of  three  Councils  in  the  Netherlands  for 
foreign  affairs,  for  justice,  and  for  finance,  added 
much  to  the  strength  of  her  government.  Charles 
left  her  estabhshed  in  Brussels  and  travelled  on  to 
Katisbon,  where  he  remained  from  February  to 
September  to  assist  at  the  Imperial  Diet,  which,  he 
says  in  his  Memoirs,  **  was  intended  to  put  in  execu- 
tion that  which  had  been  settled  at  Augsburg  :  to 
find  a  remedy  for  heresy,  and  to  resist  the  invasion 
of  the  Turks." 

While  Charles  was  at  Ratisbon,  he  had  a  fall  from 
his  horse,  and  was  laid  up  for  some  time.  He  was 
also  much  grieved  at  the  loss  of  his  young  nephew, 
Jean,  Prince  of  Denmark,  who  died  there.  This  was 
one  of  the  three  children  of  Isabelle,  the  second 
sister  of  Charles,  who  had  married  Christian  II  of 
Denmark,  before  her  brother  became  King  of  Spain  ; 
and,  after  a  sad  and  eventful  life,  had  died  at  Ghent 
of  a  broken  heart  in  1526.  Her  husband  was  un- 
faithful to  her  j  he  could  be  cruel  and  treacherous, 
as  in  regard  to  the  massacre  which  followed  his 
coronation  as  King  of  Sweden.  Yet  Christian  had 
many  of  the  modern  instincts  of  a  good  ruler.  He 
abohshed  the  sentence  of  death  against  witches, 
founded  hospitals  for  the  sick,  encouraged  learning, 


124  A  GEEAT  EMPEEOR 

and  tried  to  make  education  compulsory  in  the 
towns.  Also  he  gave  great  offence  to  his  people  by 
putting  down  piracy  and  making  an  end  of  the  old 
"  wrecking  rights/'  When  the  Bishops  of  Jutland 
came  and  complained,  saying  that  the  Bible  said 
nothing  against  wrecking,  he  rephed :  "  Let  the 
Lord  Prelates  go  home  and  study  the  eighth  com- 
mandment." 

Queen  Isabelle  left  three  young  children  to  the 
care  of  her  beloved  Aunt  Marguerite,  after  whose 
death  Charles  V  seems  to  have  loyally  taken  charge 
of  them.  His  love  for  children  was  a  notable  trait 
in  his  character,  and  he  wrote  a  touching  letter 
after  the  death  of  Jean,  aged  fourteen :  "  The  prettiest 
Httle  fellow,  for  his  age,  that  it  was  possible  to  see  .  .  . 
without  disrespect  to  God,  I  could  wish  that  his 
father  were,  in  his  stead,  welcomed  to  the  kingdom 
of  heaven.''  Then  he  adds  later :  "I  am  writing 
to  my  two  little  nieces  to  console  them  .  .  .  there 
is  no  other  cure  but  to  find  them  husbands."  This 
intention  was  carried  out,  for  in  1534  Christina  was 
married  to  Francesco  Sforza,  Duke  of  Milan,  and  in 
the  following  year  Dorothea  became  the  wife  of  the 
Count  Palatine  Frederick,  who  came  to  Saragossa 
to  seek  his  bride. 

At  this  time  Charles  was  threatened  with  troubles 
on  every  side.  The  Turks  were  advancing  towards 
Vienna,  whilst  the  Christians  of  Germany  were  at 
open  variance.  Henry  VIII  had  divorced  Katharine 
of  Aragon  and  was  in  open  defiance  against  the  Pope. 
Fran9ois  I  scarcely  concealed  his  hostile  intentions, 
and  purpose  to  break  the  Treaty  of  Cambrai  as  soon 


DIET  OF  AUGSBUEG  125 

as  possible.  He  was  in  close  league  with  Clement  VI I , 
who  had  arranged  the  marriage  of  his  kinswoman, 
Catherine  dei  Medici,  with  the  French  Prince  Henri , 
and  was  encouraging  discontent  against  the  Empire 
in  Italy.  In  this  dark  hour  Charles  behaved  with 
calm  wisdom  and  decision.    As  he  says  in  his  Memoirs  : 

*'  Thanks  to  the  good-will  of  the  States  and  their 
desire  to  do  their  duty  so  long  as  religious  questions 
were  left  undisturbed,  a  strong  army  was  raised 
with  which  the  Emperor  and  the  King  of  the  Romans 
advanced  towards  Vienna,  and  the  Turks  retreated, 
having  already  had  a  part  of  their  army  defeated  by 
the  Count  Palatine  Frederick.  They  were  driven 
back  with  much  loss  towards  Constantinople,  so 
that  from  that  time  they  were  less  feared.  At  the 
same  time,  by  command  of  the  Emperor,  Prince 
Doria  made  a  diversion  by  attacking  the  maritime 
territories  of  the  Turk."' 

He  captured  many  ports  in  the  Ionian  Islands 
and  Greece. 

After  this  success,  the  Emperor  was  able  to  travel 
to  Italy  in  the  autumn  of  1532.  He  paid  a  visit  to 
Mantua  in  November,  and  we  are  told  that  he  made 
a  great  impression,  attended  by  his  Burgundian 
guards  in  their  quaint  costume,  his  splendid  horses 
and  sporting  dogs.  He  was  a  striking  figure  ahke  in 
his  Spanish  suit  of  black  velvet  embroidered  with  gold, 
and  in  the  simple  grey  cloth  tunic  which  he  wore  in  his 
hunting  excursions  with  the  young  Duke  Federico. 
He  was  entertained  with  the  theatrical  performances, 
which  the  Dowager  Marchesa,  Isabella  d'Este,  loved 


126  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

so  dearly,  and  lie  was  so  much  impressed  with  the 
portraits  by  Titian,  that  he  arranged  for  the  great 
artist  to  meet  him  at  Bologna,  where  Clement  VII 
expected  to  receive  his  Imperial  Majesty. 

The  meeting  between  Charles  and  the  Pope  in 
December  was  not  very  satisfactory,  for  no  argument 
or  persuasion  would  induce  Clement  to  convoke  a 
General  Council  or  give  up  the  French  alHance. 
However,  a  defensive  league  was  formed  of  the  chief 
Itahan  States,  although  Venice  held  aloof.  Not  until 
April  7  was  Charles  able  to  embark  from  Genoa  on 
his  long-looked-for  return  to  Spain.  He  was  met  at 
Barcelona  by  the  Empress  Isabel,  who  had  success- 
fully acted  her  part  as  Regent  during  his  absence 
of  four  years,  and  she  brought  with  her  the  cliildren 
Pliihp  and  Mary,  to  welcome  his  home-coming. 

It  was  some  months  later,  in  the  same  year,  1533, 
when  Clement  VII  travelled  to  Marseilles  in  state, 
with  Catherine  dei  Medici,  and  the  papal  company 
was  welcomed  with  military  honours  and  salvoes  of 
artillery.  The  wedding  took  place  on  the  Feast  of 
St.  Simon  and  St.  Jude,  October  28,  and  the  whole 
French  Court  was  present  to  do  honour  to  the  occa- 
sion of  the  marriage  of  the  young  Prince  Henri,  Due 
d'Orleans.  Queen  Eleonore  took  the  place  of  honour 
by  the  side  of  the  Pope  ;  she  had  shown  the  greatest 
kindness  to  the  French  princes  during  their  captivity 
in  Spain,  and  had  proved  a  most  devoted  stepmother 
to  them  since  her  marriage.  Apparently  the  French 
King  did  not  treat  her  badly,  although  always  un- 
faithful to  her ;  yet,  under  the  circumstances,  her 
Ufe  in  France  must  have  been  a  tragedy. 


DIET  OF  AUGSBUEG  127 

On  the  return  of  Charles  to  Spain  in  April  1533, 
the  most  important  matter  for  his  consideration  was 
the  condition  of  his  colonies  in  North  Africa,  which 
were  seriously  threatened  by  the  increasing  power  of 
Barbarossa  in  alhance  with  the  French.  When 
Solyman  had  driven  the  Knights  Hospitallers  from 
Ehodes  in  1522,  the  Emperor  had  given  them  a  new 
home  in  TripoH  and  Malta,  as  a  kind  of  outpost  of 
Christianity.  There  was  constant  warfare  between 
the  galleys  of  the  Knights  and  the  Turkish  squadrons, 
whose  power  was  greatly  increased  by  the  successes 
of  the  younger  Barbarossa,  Kheyr-ed-din,  who  had 
strongly  fortified  his  pirate  state  of  Algiers  by  taking 
from  the  Spanish  the  rocky  island  of  Peiion,  which 
had  served  as  a  watch-tower  in  front  of  the  port  of 
Algiers.  More  than  this,  he  had  taken  possession  of 
the  native  state  of  Tunis,  and  strongly  fortified  the 
town,  while  his  dominion  stretched  far  into  the 
interior. 

No  name  ever  struck  such  terror  into  the  heart  of 
dwellers  on  the  shores  of  Spain  and  Italy  as  that 
of  the  invincible  Kheyr-ed-din,  the  most  daring  of 
pirates,  whose  galleys  ravaged  the  coast,  from 
whence  he  carried  oft  hundreds  of  Christian  slaves. 
In  July  1534  he  set  forth  on  one  of  his  famous  raids. 
Starting  from  the  Golden  Horn,  he  attacked  Messina, 
the  coast  of  Calabria,  Reggio,  and  San  Lucido,  taking 
800  prisoners  and  putting  to  the  sword  all  the  useless 
inhabitants.  The  corsairs  next  set  fire  to  Cetraro 
de  Monaci,  burning  seven  Spanish  galleys,  and 
carrying  off  men  and  women  as  slaves.  The  corsair 
chief  now  attacked  Sperlonga,  the  port  of  Fondi, 


128  A  GREAT  EMPEROE 

where  he  made  a  bold  attempt  to  seize  the  Countess 
GiuHa  Gonzaga,  said  to  be  the  most  beautiful  woman 
in  Italy,  for  the  seraglio  of  the  Sultan,  and  she  only 
escaped  by  a  desperate  effort  at  the  last  moment. 
Enraged  by  his  disappointment,  Barbarossa  vented 
his  fury  on  the  unprotected  inhabitants,  the  looting 
and  massacre  going  on  through  the  night,  made 
more  terrible  by  fire  when  pillage  had  done  its  work.* 

When  news  of  this  outrage  reached  Rome  Pope 
Clement  VII  was  dying,  and  it  was  his  nephew 
Cardinal  Ippohto  dei  Medici,  who  aroused  the  au- 
thorities to  immediate  action.  He  took  command 
of  a  strong  force,  but  it  was  too  late  for  immediate 
revenge,  for  the  corsairs  had  escaped  with  their 
booty.  But  this  last  outrage  excited  the  wrath  of 
all  Italy,  and  from  Naples  alone  a  donation  of 
250,000  ducats  was  sent  to  the  Emperor  Charles,  in 
the  hope  that  he  might  rid  the  land  of  these  hateful 
infidels  and  destroy  their  power  for  ever. 

As  we  have  seen,  the  moment  was  propitious  for 
an  appeal  to  Charles,  the  more  so  as  Muley  Hassan, 
late  King  of  Tunis,  was  imploring  his  help  against 
Barbarossa.  All  that  winter  preparations  were  made 
for  a  great  expedition ;  Toledo,  Viceroy  of  Naples, 
caused  a  galley  to  be  built  at  his  own  expense,  and 
a  number  of  great  lords  followed  his  example.  Andrea 
Doria,  Doge  of  Genoa,  made  ready  his  fleet,  and  the 
new  Pope  Paul  III  sent  twenty- two  galleys  to  join 
the  Itahan  vessels  at  Naples  in  May.  On  June  11 
the  Emperor  arrived  at  Palermo  with  a  great  com- 
pany of   imperial  troops  from  Spain  and  Germany, 

^  See  "  A  Princess  of  the  Italian  Reformation,"  by  Christopher  Hare. 


EMPEROR    CHARLES    V. 
By  Titian. 


128] 


«    *  «i  ■^  o  e 


DIET  OF  AUGSBUKG  129 

and  the  powerful  armada  of  more  than  300  ships 
set  sail  for  Africa,  arriving  after  a  prosperous  journey 
of  three  days.  The  supreme  command  was  given 
to  the  Marchese  del  Vasto,  and  the  first  attack  was 
made  on  the  Goletta,  the  twin  towers  which  guarded 
the  channel  of  Tunis.  The  knights  of  Malta  claimed 
the  post  of  danger,  and  the  heavy  cannon  from  their 
great  carack,  St.  Anna,  soon  made  a  breach  in  the 
fortress,  and  they  gallantly  rushed  through  to  plant 
their  banner  on  the  battlements.  At  length  with 
much  loss,  Goletta  was  stormed,  in  spite  of  the 
desperate  sorties  of  the  garrison,  and  the  fleet  of 
eighty-two  galleys  was  taken,  as  well  as  guns  and 
ammunition. 

The  question  now  arose  with  regard  to  the  attack 
on  Tunis,  which  was  distant  twelve  miles  from  the 
fortress  of  Goletta.  The  general  opinion  was  in 
favour  of  being  satisfied  with  the  capture  of  the 
corsair  fleet,  and  returning  home.  But  to  this  Charles 
was  strongly  opposed,  and  at  the  last  moment  his 
advice  prevailed.  The  army  set  forth  on  its  march 
between  the  lagoon  and  ohve  groves,  on  a  day  of 
burning  heat,  without  transport,  so  that  all  the  guns 
were  dragged  by  hand,  and  also  with  only  provisions 
for  five  days,  so  that  the  very  existence  of  the  army 
was  risked  unless  success  should  be  immediate. 
Barbarossa  came  to  meet  the  enemy  with  a  great 
force,  but  his  cavalry  dared  not  face  the  Spanish 
fire,  and  on  the  second  attack  the  Berbers  refused 
to  fight.  Meanwhile,  the  thousands  of  Christian 
slaves  in  the  citadel  rose  against  their  tyrant,  so 
that  he  found  himself  between  two  fires,  and  was 
9 


130  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

compelled  to  retreat  towards  Algiers,  where  he  had 
left  some  of  his  galleys.  The  town  of  Tunis  was 
taken  and  given  up  to  plunder. 

When  Charles  V  left  in  August,  he  had  given  up 
Tunis  to  Muley  Hassan,  who  was  to  pay  tribute, 
to  free  all  Christian  slaves,  to  renounce  piracy,  and 
to  offer  annual  homage  of  six  Moorish  horses  and 
twelve  falcons.  This  treaty  looked  well  on  the 
signed  parchment,  yet  it  was  really  of  no  value,  and 
the  Emperor  would  have  been  wiser  to  keep  the  city 
in  his  own  hands.  As  it  was  he  retained  Goletta, 
Bona,  and  Biserta.  He  had  been  anxious  to  attack 
Algiers,  but  his  troops  were  suffering  from  disease, 
and  could  not  stand  the  tropical  heat. 

The  whole  Christian  world  was  elated  by  this 
transitory  success,  and  the  Emperor  was  hailed  with 
enthusiasm  as  the  saviour  of  Europe  from  the  do- 
minion of  the  dreaded  Turk.  He  had  certainly 
proved  himself  a  gallant  soldier,  and  from  this  time 
he  was  never  so  happy  as  when  he  led  his  armies  to 
battle. 


CHAPTER   XI 

CHABLES   IN  ITALY 

Charles  V  visita  Sicily  and  Naples — Listens  to  the  preaching  of 
Ochino — The  Emperor  is  welcomed  in  his  city  of  Siena — Vain 
efforts  to  recover  Savoy  for  his  brother-in-law — Francois  I  renews 
his  alliance  with  the  Turks — Charles  has  troubles  on  every  side — 
Cosimo  dei  Medici  becomes  Duke  of  Florence — Treaty  of  Aiguea- 
Mortes  between  the  Emperor  and  the  King  of  France — Charlea 
returns  to  Spajn. 

Charles  V  remained  in  Africa  for  a  while  to  strengthen 
his  position  before  he  set  sail  to  pay  his  first  visit 
to  his  kingdom  of  Sicily.  Here  he  arrived  on 
August  17,  and  remained  for  ten  weeks,  resting  after 
his  arduous  labours  and  making  a  survey  of  the 
fortifications.  He  held  a  Parhament  at  Palermo 
and  received  tribute  there,  travelHng  on  to  Taormina 
and  ending  his  journey  at  Messina.  Before  leaving 
Sicily,  he  appointed  Ferrante  Gonzaga,  brother  of 
Duke  Federico  of  Mantua,  as  Viceroy  of  the  island 
kingdom.  On  November  3,  1535,  the  Emperor 
crossed  the  straits  of  Calabria,  and  three  weeks  later 
made  a  triumphant  entry  into  Naples,  where  he  was 
hailed  as  conqueror  of  the  terrible  Barbarossa  and 
proclaimed  champion  of  Christendom.  All  the  great 
nobles  gathered  together  to  do  honour  to  their  lord, 
and  there  appears  to  have  been  quite  a  galaxy  of 

131 


132  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

fair  ladies,  and,  amongst  them,  Charles  specially 
distinguished  Giulia  Gonzaga,  Countess  of  Fondi, 
whom  he  congratulated  on  her  escape  from  the 
corsairs. 

Don  Pedro  de  Toledo,  the  Viceroy,  held  a  splendid 
Court,  and  amongst  those  present  was  the  historian, 
Paolo  Giovio,  who  writes  a  very  interesting  apprecia- 
tion of  Charles  V,  at  tliis  time  thirty-five  years  of 
age.  Amongst  other  remarks,  we  find  that  in  the 
midst  of  all  these  beautiful  ladies,  "  His  Majesty  is 
as  cold  as  the  tramontana ,  [north  wind],  and  flies  from 
all  occasion  of  offending  even  in  thought."  But  if 
he  was  not  personally  interested  in  these  fair  ladies, 
the  Emperor  was  quite  aware  of  the  value  of  an 
heiress,  in  payment  of  his  obhgations  to  one  of  his 
vaHant  generals.  Thus  he  arranged  a  marriage  for 
Phihppe  de  Lannoy  with  Isabella  Colonna,  the  young 
widow  of  Luigi  Gonzaga  (Rodomonte)  brother  of  the 
Countess  of  Fondi,  giving  the  bride  as  a  dowry  a 
castle  and  estate  in  the  Abruzzi ;  having  already 
made  the  bridegroom  Prince  of  Sulmona.  Another 
still  more  important  wedding  celebrated  at  Naples 
during  the  visit  of  Charles  was  that  of  his  illegitimate 
daughter  Marguerite  with  Alessandro  dei  Medici, 
Duke  of  Florence  since  1532.  This  young  girl,  born 
many  years  before  the  Emperor's  marriage,  was 
acknowledged  by  him,  and  brought  up  as  a  royal 
princess ;  she  is  always  spoken  of  as  beautiful  and 
accomphshed,  and  she  was  a  great  favourite  at  Court. 
Her  mother  was  a  certain  Marguerite  Vander  Gheenst. 

But,  during  this  winter  in  Naples,  Charles  had 
other  interests  besides  wedding  festivities.     A  series 


CHAELES  IN  ITAI.Y  133 

of  sermons  were  given  in  the  Cathedral  of  Naples 
by  the  famous  friar,  Bernardino  Ochino,  and  all  the 
city  flocked  to  hear  him,  as  had  been  the  case  wherever 
he  preached,  in  Florence,  Venice,  Rome,  and  else- 
where. The  Emperor  was  a  constant  Hstener  to  his 
preaching,  full  of  zeal  and  eloquence,  which  he  was 
wont  to  say  "would  draw  tears  from  the  very 
stones."  Yet  we  know  that  so  fierce  became  the 
persecution  of  all  whose  strong  rehgious  fervour  could 
possibly  be  accused  of  heresy,  that,  only  a  few  years 
later,  Ochino  was  driven  to  despairing  flight  from 
his  native  land,  to  avoid  the  flames  of  the  Inquisition. 
While  he  was  at  Naples,  Charles  heard  of  the 
death  of  his  niece  Christina's  husband,  Francesco, 
Duke  of  Milan.  This  raised  a  difficult  question  as 
to  what  should  be  done  with  Milan ;  negotiations  with 
France  went  on  for  months,  and  it  formed  a  serious 
subject  of  discussion  with  Pope  Paul  III,  when  the 
two  sovereigns  met  for  the  first  time  at  Rome  in 
April  1536.  It  was  on  Easter  Monday  that,  in  the 
presence  of  the  Pope,  the  College  of  Cardinals,  and 
the  ambassadors,  the  Emperor  made  his  pas- 
sionate speech  in  defiance  of  France,  news  having 
arrived  that  Francois  I  had  broken  all  treaties  and 
invaded  Savoy. 

**  If  the  King  of  France  would  not  have  peace  I 
shall  be  forced  to  stake  all  for  all ;  and  whoso  wins  will 
buy  victory  too  dearly,  for  the  Turk  will  be  master 
of  Europe,  if  God  do  not  intervene,  for  man  cannot 
prevent  it.  .  .  .  Yea,  rather  than  bring  another  war 
on  Christendom,  I  will  fight  Fran9ois,  man  to  man, 


134  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

staking  Milan  against  Burgundy,  though  this  last 
also  is  mine  by  right.  Whoso  is  conquered  shall  give 
full  aid  to  the  victor  for  war  against  the  infidel." 

But  this  second  challenge  to  single  combat  with 
his  rival  was  destined  to  meet  the  same  fate  as  the 
first.  The  peace  which  he  so  ardently  longed  for 
was  not  to  be  gained  thus  ;  for  the  long- dreaded  war 
had  come  at  last. 

From  Rome  Charles  travelled  north  to  his  im- 
perial city,  Siena,  where  he  was  received  with  en- 
thusiasm, and  won  golden  opinions  by  his  genial 
kindness,  especially  to  the  procession  of  httle  chil- 
dren who  came  to  meet  him  with  garlands  of  flowers. 
After  a  short  visit,  crowded  with  entertainments, 
he  went  on  to  Florence,  where,  as  at  Siena,  the  beau- 
tiful Cathedral  interested  him  more  than  anything 
else.  He  was  a  guest  of  his  devoted  daughter 
Marguerite,  and  her  husband  Duke  Alessandro,  who 
was  soon  to  meet  Avith  a  fate  which  he  probably 
richly  deserved,  for  there  is  httle  doubt  that  he  was 
guilty  of  poisoning  his  cousin.  Cardinal  Ippohto. 

The  Emperor  passed  through  Lucca,  across  the 
valley  of  the  Magra  to  Pontremoh,  and  onwards  to 
Fornovo  and  over  the  hills  to  Borgo  San  Domino. 
It  was  his  first  sight  of  this  fair  land,  which  he  was 
no  more  to  visit.  In  his  Memoirs  he  speaks  of  his 
anxiety  to  recover  Savoy  for  his  brother-in-law,  and 
mentions  that  he  sent  Henri  of  Nassau  against 
Picardy,  leaving  a  part  of  his  army  before  Turin. 
With  the  troops  that  remained  to  him,  who  were 
under  the  command  of  Antonio  de  Leyva,  he  him- 


CHARLES  IN  ITALY  135 

self  advanced  through  Provence  and  took  possession 
of  Aix,  and  he  adds  that  "  this  was  the  first  time  he 
had  entered  France  at  the  head  of  an  aimj."  His 
motive  was  not  so  much  conquest,  as  to  induce 
Fran9oi8  I  to  withdraw  his  troops  from  Savoy. 
With  an  army  of  50,000  men,  Charles  crossed 
the  river  Var  which  divided  Piedmont  from  Pro- 
vence on  July  25,  1536,  and  marched  on  towards 
Marseilles.  But  a  second  time  the  city  proved 
impregnable,  and  after  fourteen  days  of  bombard- 
ment, he  was  obliged  to  raise  the  siege  and  turn 
back,  having  lost  half  his  army.  Worst  of  all,  his 
great  general,  Antonio  de  Leyva,  had  died  from  the 
hardships  of  the  campaign. 

Charles  returned  to  Genoa,  and,  after  granting  the 
lands  of  Monferrat  to  Federico  of  Mantua,  he  set 
sail  for  Spain,  and  at  length,  after  delay  from  stormy 
seas,  and  risks  of  attack  from  the  French  fleet,  he 
reached  P  alamos  in  safety.  As  he  tells  us  in  his 
Memoirs,  "  this  was  the  fifth  time  he  had  crossed  the 
Levant,  and  the  fourth  time  he  went  to  Spain.  He 
travelled  at  once  to  Tordesillas,  where  he  found  the 
Queen  his  mother  and  the  Empress  his  wife.'"  Juana 
appears  to  have  been  very  fond  of  her  daughter-in- 
law  Isabel,  who,  hke  Charles,  always  treated  the  poor 
lady  with  the  greatest  kindness  and  consideration. 

The  end  of  the  year  1536  was  not  promising  for 
the  cause  of  the  Empire.  The  Count  of  Nassau  had 
met  with  some  success  in  Picardy,  but  he  found  it 
difficult  to  maintain  his  position,  as  the  war  was  not 
popular  in  the  Netherlands  and  he  could  not  obtain 
enough  funds.     The  chief  reason  for  the  Emperor's 


136  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

return  to  Spain  was  to  summon  the  Estates  and 
raise  subsidies  ;  but  every  country  objected  to  give 
money  for  foreign  wars.  However,  the  next  year 
this  position  was  changed  when  the  people  of  Flanders 
found  their  frontiers  invaded  by  the  King  of  France, 
who  took  Hesdin,  with  the  result  that  funds  were 
freely  voted  by  the  burghers  for  self-defence.  The 
attack  was  driven  back,  and  the  Regent  Marie  in- 
sisted upon  making  a  separate  peace,  or  at  least  an 
armistice  of  ten  months,  between  the  Netherlands 
and  France,  on  July  30,  1537. 

Frangois  I  had  begun  an  aUiance  with  the  Turks 
many  years  before  ;  when  he  was  a  prisoner  in  Spain 
he  had  written  a  pitiful  letter  of  appeal  to  the  Sultan 
Solyman  II,  and  had  received  from  him  a  pompous 
reply,  promising  help  as  to  a  vassal.  Now  he  was 
the  open  ally  of  Barbarossa,  who  made  use  of  the 
French  ports  as  his  harbours,  from  whence  his  galleys 
sailed  forth  to  raid  the  coasts  of  Italy  and  Sicily. 
This  alhance  of  the  "  Most  Christian  King  "  with  the 
infidel  could  not  fail  to  be  a  shock  to  all  Christendom, 
and  the  Pope  was  driven  into  a  league  with  Charles 
and  his  brother  Ferdinand  against  the  Turks,  while 
still  maintaining  neutrahty  with  regard  to  France. 
All  through  the  next  year,  1537,  war  continued  with 
varying  fortune ;  Charles  of  Guelders  was  active  in 
Flanders,  Ferdinand  was  defeated  by  the  Turks  at 
Assek  and  was  compelled  to  compromise  with 
Zapolya,  leaving  him  part  of  Hungary  for  his  Hfe, 
while  Spain  had  to  resist  a  French  invasion  of  her 
frontiers.  At  length  both  sides  were  worn  out,  and 
were  willing  that  the  Pope  should  make  an  attempt 


CHARLES  IN  ITALY  137 

at  mediation.  In  June  1538,  Paul  III  went  to  Nice, 
but  was  not  admitted  within  the  walls,  as  the  Duke 
of  Savoy  feared  it  might  be  taken  by  surprise ;  he 
therefore  took  up  his  abode  at  a  neighbouring  monas- 
tery. The  Emperor  and  the  King  of  France  would 
not  meet,  but  they  laid  their  claims  separately  before 
the  Pope.  For  some  time  any  arrangement  seemed 
impossible,  as  Fran9ois  persisted  in  his  demand  for 
Milan  to  be  given  to  his  third  son,  the  r>uc  d'Angou- 
leme,  Henri,  the  second  son  being  now  Dauphin 
since  his  brother's  death  in  1537.  On  his  side 
Charles  refused  to  treat  unless  the  realm  of  Savoy 
were  returned  to  the  Duke.  At  length  a  truce  was 
settled  upon  for  a  period  of  ten  years,  on  the  basis 
that  things  should  remain  as  they  were.  This  made 
no  change  in  the  position  of  either  side ;  it  simply 
meant  that  they  should  abstain  from  fighting. 

This  breathing-space  was  an  absolute  necessity  for 
Charles.  He  had  much  to  contend  with  in  the 
government  of  his  vast  Empire,  where  he  was  met 
with  opposition  at  the  Cortes  in  Spain,  the  Estates 
in  the  Netherlands,  and  the  Diet  in  Germany.  No- 
where could  he  obtain  grants  sufficient  for  his  abso- 
lute necessities  in  peace  or  war  ;  and  in  many  places, 
such  as  the  great  cities  of  Flanders,  the  burghers 
were  on  the  verge  .of  rebelhon.  The  increasing  power 
of  the  Lutheran  princes  in  Germany  was  a  cause  of 
growing  anxiety,  and  he  was  not  even  certain  of  the 
loyalty  of  his  army,  for  his  soldiers  had  mutinied  in 
Lombardy,  in  Sicily,  and  at  Goletta.  Peace  was 
more  especially  urgent  for  him  to  meet  the  Turkish 
menace,  and  he  never  gave  up  his  earnest  hope  of 


138  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

persuading  all  the  sovereigns  of  Christendom  to  join 
him  in  a  crusade  against  the  infidel. 

It  has  been  suggested  that,  as  early  as  this  date 
1538,  Charles  had  already  begun  to  feel  that  weari- 
ness of  governing  which  was,  in  years  to  come,  des- 
tined to  have  so  strange  and  tragic  a  result. 

One  of  the  chief  events  in  Northern  Italy  during 
the  year  1537  was  the  murder  of  the  tyrannical  and 
treacherous  Alessandro  dei  Medici,  the  ruler  of 
Florence  who  had  married  Marguerite  the  daughter 
of  Charles.  We  have  a  very  full  account  of  the 
events  which  took  place  in  this  critical  hour  for 
Florence.^  A  Council  was  hastily  summoned  to  dis- 
cuss the  question  of  a  Chief  Magistrate,  and  by  the 
skilful  diplomacy  of  Cosimo  dei  Medici,  the  son  of 
Giovanni  delle  Bande  Nere,  this  youth  of  eighteen 
was  at  once  accepted  as  a  candidate.  The  gallant 
deeds  of  his  father,  the  greatest  of  Italian  warriors, 
were  remembered,  and  the  fame  of  his  grandmother 
Caterina  Sforza,  Countess  of  Fondi.  His  only  rival 
appeared  to  be  an  illegitimate  infant  son  of  Ales- 
sandro, whose  claims  were  soon  set  aside.  Cosimo 
was  astute  enough  to  behave  with  so  much  deference 
and  humihty  that  the  members  of  the  Council  felt 
assured  he  would  be  guided  by  their  influence,  being 
so  young  and  inexperienced.  The  result  was  not 
long  doubtful ;  almost  before  the  citizens  had  heard 
of  the  murder,  the  streets  were  filled  with  armed  men, 
amongst  them  many  of  the  "  Black  Bands,"  who 
shouted  "  Long  five  Duke  Cosimo  and  the  Medici !  " 

Cosimo  took  bold  and  decided  action  at  once  ;  he 
*  See  "  Romance  of  a  Medici  Warrior,"  by  Christopher  Hare. 


CHARLES  IN  ITALY  139 

made  sure  of  the  loyalty  of  Vitelli,  the  captain  of 
the  guard,  and  the  other  leaders  of  troops ;  he 
agreed  to  everything  suggested  by  the  Council  with 
meek  outward  docility  but  an  inward  resolve  that  he 
would  be  satisfied  with  nothing  less  than  absolute 
power.  He  at  once  sent  messengers  to  the  Emperor, 
to  inform  him  of  the  people's  choice  of  himself  as 
**  Capo  primario  della  Citta  di  Firenze  e  suo  Dominio," 
and  most  humbly  and  respectfully  implored  the 
sanction  of  His  Imperial  Majesty.  Charles  might 
well  have  taken  Florence  under  his  own  rule,  but  he 
was  wise  enough  to  accept  the  city's  choice  of  this 
young  Medici,  who,  through  all  his  ambitious  and 
crafty  intrigues,  saw  that  it  was  his  policy  to  prove 
a  faithful  vassal  of  the  Empire. 

The  young  Duke  soon  had  an  opportunity  of  dis- 
tinguishing liimself ;  a  few  months  later  he  defeated 
Filippo  Strozzi  and  the  fuorusciti  at  the  battle  of 
Montemurlo,  and  when  he  sent  news  of  the  victory 
to  the  Emperor  he  had  the  assurance  to  ask  for  the 
hand  of  Marguerite,  the  widow  of  his  predecessor. 
His  message  was  graciously  received,  but  he  was 
told  that  the  young  princess  was  promised  to  Ottavio 
Farnese,  the  grandson  of  Pope  Paul  III.  This  was 
another  piece  of  pohcy  on  the  part  of  Charles,  who  was 
anxious  to  strengthen  his  alhance  with  the  Pope,  and 
was  proposing  to  invest  his  son  Pier  Luigi  with  Novara. 

We  have  seen  how  unsatisfactory  the  Truce  of 
Nice  was  between  France  and  the  Empire,  for  it 
settled  no  disputed  question.  But  its  after  effects 
were  much  more  promising.  Charles,  in  his  Memoirs, 
thus  tells  the  story  of  a  curious  incident.    When  he 


140  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

was  at  Villeneuve,  about  a  month  after  the  Truce 
had  been  signed,  Queen  Eleonore — 

"  Who  desired  to  meet  her  brother,  not  having  seen 
him  for  a  long  time,  and  desiring  to  concihate  the 
intentions  of  the  Emperor  her  brother  and  the  King 
her  husband,  came  to  Villefranche  with  Madame  la 
Dauphine  (Catherine  dei  Medici)  and  Madame  Mar- 
guerite as  well  as  other  great  personages  from  France, 
in  order  to  execute  her  designs/' 

Eleonore  appears  to  have  been  so  far  successful 
that,  when  Charles  embarked  from  Genoa,  he  pro- 
mised to  follow  the  coast  of  France  and  to  arrange  a 
meeting  with  the  King. 

"  When  he  arrived  at  the  port  of  Aigues-Mortes, 
the  King  of  France  went  in  a  small  vessel  to  meet 
the  Emperor  in  his  galley,  and  Charles  returned  the 
King's  visit  in  his  town  of  Aigues-Mortes,  where  he 
remained  until  the  next  day,  very  well  treated  and 
feasted  by  Frangois,  who,  not  satisfied  with  the 
courtesy  which  he  had  already  shown  to  the  Emperor, 
insisted  upon  accompanying  him  with  his  two  sons 
and  many  great  personages  to  the  galley,  which  they 
all  entered  together.  On  both  sides  there  were  a 
thousand  comphments  and  offers,  from  which  re- 
sulted a  great  understanding  of  good  friendship  and 
greater  confidence.  ..." 

Moncenigo,  the  Venetian  ambassador,  gives  a  vivid 
account  of  this  meeting,  and  says  that  the  Emperor 
joyfully  told  him  of  the  French  King's  friendly  assur- 
ances and  his  promise  to  make  every  effort  in  the 


CHARLES  IN  ITALY  141 

cause  of  Christendom,  when  once  the  eight  months 
of  his  truce  with  the  Sultan  had  expired.  Francois 
appears  to  have  given  him  a  diamond  ring  and  to 
have  sworn  eternal  friendship,  with  flattering  assur- 
ances ;  while  Charles  certainly  beheved  fully  in  his 
sincerity,  and  hoped  that  now  all  his  troubles  would 
be  at  an  end.  He  wrote  a  private  letter  to  his  sister 
Marie  of  Hungary,  assuring  her  that  now  he  should 
be  able  to  resist  the  infidel  with  success,  and  would 
then  be  free  to  devote  all  his  energies  to  the  restora- 
tion of  Catholic  unity. 

The  Venetian  ambassador  had  done  his  utmost 
to  persuade  the  Emperor  to  visit  Venice,  where  he 
assured  him  that  he  would  find  much  encouragement 
of  his  design  to  organize  a  crusade.  But  Charles 
rephed  that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  for  him  now 
to  return  to  Spain  ;  he  was  anxious  about  the  health 
of  the  Empress,  whom  he  had  not  seen  for  some 
time,  as  he  had  been  obhged  already  to  delay  his 
journey  home.  Moreover,  with  regard  to  the  crusade, 
it  was  essential  that  he  should  assemble  the  Cortes 
and  obtain  a  grant  of  money  towards  the  spring 
campaign  which  he  hoped  to  organize. 

Thus,  on  leaving  Aigues-Mortes  after  the  amazing 
show  of  friendhness  on  the  part  of  the  French  King, 
he  lost  no  time,  but  continued  his  voyage  and  landed 
at  Barcelona  on  July  26  of  the  year  1538.  From 
thence  he  travelled  at  once  to  Valladolid  to  meet  his 
wife  Isabel ;  he  writes  in  his  Memoirs  that  he  found 
her  better -than  he  expected,  but  his  anxiety  was  well 
founded,  for  the  beloved  Empress  was  not  destined 
to  live  another  year,  and  he  never  left  her  again. 


CHAPTER   XII 

THE   CONQUEST   OF   PERU 

How  Francisco  Pizarro  sought  his  fortune  in  the  Indies  with  Balboa 
and  in  Darien — He  starts  from  Panama  in  1522  withAlmagro,  in 
search  of  a  "  fabled  land  of  gold  and  silver  " — Indomitable  courage 
and  perseverance  of  Pizarro  ;  driven  back  by  misfortune  again 
and  again,  he  at  length  discovers  Peru,  the  land  of  his  dreams- 
He  goes  back  to  Spain  for  help  from  the  Crown,  with  specimens 
of  his  treasures,  and  in  1528  is  appointed  Governor  and  Captain- 
General,  with  all  rights  of  discovery  and  conquest  in  the  land  of 
Peru — With  infinite  difficulty  and  many  stirring  adventures, 
he  carries  this  out,  and  the  empire  of  Atahuallpa  is  added  to  the 
crown  of  Castile. 

After  dwelling  at  length  upon  the  wars  and  anxieties 
of  Charles  V  in  Spain  and  Italy,  in  Germany  and  the 
Netherlands,  it  will  be  well  to  turn  to  his  growing 
dominions  in  the  New  World.  We  left  the  story 
of  Cortes,  the  discoverer  and  conqueror  of  Mexico 
in  the  year  1522,  when  he  had  attained  to  his  greatest 
triumph,  and  was  appointed  Captain-General  and 
Governor  of  New  Spain.  The  news  had  been  pro- 
claimed by  sound  of  trumpet  at  Cuba,  and  the 
success  of  his  rival  was  a  death-blow  to  the  Governor, 
Velasquez. 

For  a  while  fortune  continued  to  smile  on  Hernando 
Cortes ;  he  carried  out  his  splendid  schemes,  and 
in  four  years  Mexico  had  risen  from  its  ruins,  a  new 

142 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  PERU  143 

and  beautiful  city.  On  the  site  of  the  Aztec  temple 
rose  a  stately  cathedral,  while  massive  dwelhngs 
sprang  up  for  the  increasing  population,  for  Spaniards 
were  encouraged  to  colonize  by  grants  of  land,  and 
the  Indians  were  treated  with  unusual  generosity. 
But  success  has  too  often  to  bear  the  penalty  of 
calumny,  and  evil  reports  against  the  Governor  found 
their  way  to  Spain.  Charles  was  slow  to  beUeve 
them,  but  with  his  strong  sense  of  justice  he  sent  out 
a  man  whom  he  could  fully  trust.  Ponce  de  Leon, 
to  make  an  official  inquiry  into  the  various  accusa- 
tions against  Cortes,  who  was  meanwhile  suspended 
from  his  office.  But  Charles  was  considerate  as  well 
as  just,  and  he  wrote  a  friendly  letter  to  the  Governor 
with  his  own  hand,  explaining  that  he  suspected 
nothing  wrong,  but  only  wished  to  give  him  an 
opportunity  of  refuting  the  complaints. 

But  it  so  happened  that  Leon  died  and  the  ofiicial 
who  took  his  place  behaved  with  so  much  want  of 
tact  that  he  nearly  excited  a  revolution  in  Mexico. 
The  High  Court  for  the  colonies  was  so  alarmed  as 
to  require  the  return  of  Cortes  to  Spain.  The 
Emperor  again  tried  to  soften  the  blow,  by  explaining 
to  his  gallant  subject  that  he  wished  to  consult  him 
on  the  government  of  the  Indies,  and  to  reward 
him  for  his  services.  When  Cortes  arrived,  Charles 
paid  him  every  honour,  and  asked  his  advice  about 
the  condition  of  the  natives,  the  general  administra- 
tion, and  the  means  to  promote  colonial  agriculture. 
Cortes  was  made  "  Marquis  of  the  Valley  of  Oajaca," 
and  received  broad  estates,  warmly  recognizing  his 
obedience    and    fidehty    to    the    Crown.    At    that 


144  A  GREAT  EMPEEOR 

moment  the  Emperor  was  on  the  point  of  leaving 
Spain,  and  the  conqueror  of  Mexico  accompanied 
him,  with  the  escort,  to  the  sea-coast  where  he  em- 
barked. Yet  Charles  took  certain  precautions,  for 
when  Cortes  returned  to  Mexico  he  found  that, 
although  he  still  retained  the  mihtary  command  as 
Captain-General,  the  civil  government  was  bestowed 
upon  the  distinguished  Antonio  de  Mendoza,  who 
accepted  the  post  of  Viceroy. 

This  was  in  1529,  when  another  star  had  risen  on 
the  horizon,  and  the  great  deeds  of  the  conqueror 
of  Mexico  were  overshadowed  by  the  newer  dis- 
coveries of  Pizarro  in  Peru.  We  can  but  briefly 
tell  the  wonderful  story  of  adventure  and  indomit- 
able courage  which  added  one  of  its  richest  gems  to 
the  diadem  of  Spain. 

Francisco  Pizarro  was  a  native  of  Estremadura  in 
Spain,  and,  beyond  the  fact  that  he  was  employed  in 
childhood  as  a  swine-herd,  we  hear  little  about  him 
until,  in  the  year  1510,  he  took  part  in  an  expedition 
to  the  island  of  Hispaniola.  He  is  supposed  to  have 
been  born  about  the  year  1471,  which  would  make 
him  nearly  forty  years  of  age  when  his  life  of  adven- 
ture began.  He  next  took  part  in  the  discovery  of 
the  Pacific  with  Balboa,  and  helped  to  form  the 
settlement  of  Darien.  In  1515  he  was  chosen  to 
cross  the  Isthmus  in  order  to  traffic  with  the  natives 
on  the  shores  of  the  Pacific,  after  several  other  ex- 
peditions which  had  only  resulted  in  giving  him  a 
tract  of  unhealthy  land  in  Panama.  Here,  in  1522, 
he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Diego  de  Almagro,  a 
soldier  of  fortune,  about  his  own  age,  and  the  two 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  PERU  145 

men  were  greatly  impressed  with  wonderful  rumours 
of  a  land  full  of  gold  and  silver,  which  lay  beyond 
the  mighty  barrier  of  the  Cordilleras.  No  one  knew 
how  far  it  was,  but  dark  stories  were  told  of  the 
hardships  and  dangers  of  the  way  which  led  thither. 

Probably  this  made  it  all  the  more  attractive  to 
the  adventurers,  and  with  great  trouble  they  managed 
to  collect  funds  for  an  expedition,  chiefly  with  the 
help  of  Hernando  de  Luque,  a  Spanish  priest,  who 
was  able  to  supply  a  good  share  of  the  expenses. 
In  November  1524  they  had  collected  about  a  hun- 
dred men,  who  set  forth  under  the  command  of 
Pizarro,  in  a  caravel  which  had  been  left  by  Balboa, 
and  which  was  now  supphed  with  stores  and  equip- 
ment. Almagro  was  to  follow  later  in  a  smaller 
vessel  as  soon  as  it  could  be  fitted  out. 

It  was  an  unfortunate  time  of  year,  and  after  they 
had  crossed  the  Gulf  of  St.  Michael,  and  steered 
almost  due  south  for  the  Puerta  de  Piiias,  they  were 
driven  by  stormy  weather  up  the  river  Birti,  and 
landed  on  a  swampy  and  desolate  shore.  After  a 
trying  experience  they  returned  to  their  vessel  and 
once  more  attempted  to  sail  along  the  coast  of  the 
great  ocean.  Here  again  they  were  tossed  about  on 
a  tempestuous  sea  for  ten  fearful  nights  and  days, 
when  it  seemed  that  nothing  but  a  miracle  saved 
the  ship  from  foundering.  Once  more  they  were 
driven  back  to  land  on  the  swampy  shore,  and  as 
they  moved  onwards  they  found  nothing  but  thick 
forests  with  matted  undergrowth,  where  a  way 
could  only  be  cut  with  the  axe,  and  there  was  no- 
thing but  silence  and  desolation  on  every  side.  No 
10 


146  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

bird  or  beast  was  to  be  seen,  but  myriads  of  mos- 
quitoes in  the  damp  oppressive  heat  made  hfe  a  misery 
to  the  men.  Worn  out  and  half  starved,  they 
openly  expressed  their  discontent,  but  Pizarro  stood 
firm,  and  declared  he  would  have  no  faint  hearts ; 
those  who  wished  should  return  to  Panama,  and  the 
caravel  should  bring  back  fresh  provisions  to  those 
who  remained  with  him. 

This  was  at  once  arranged,  and  an  officer  named 
Montenegro  took  command  of  the  returning  party, 
which  numbered  more  than  forty.  Those  who  were 
left  behind  had  a  terrible  time  of  endurance  and 
suffering  both  from  famine  and  disease,  although 
their  leader  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost  to  help 
and  encourage  them.  It  so  happened  that  one 
evening,  when  a  Spaniard  was  exploring  the  forest, 
he  saw  a  distant  light  through  an  opening  in  the 
trees,  and  next  morning  a  strong  party  accompanied 
Pizarro  in  that  direction,  until  they  came  upon  an 
Indian  village  with  huts  built  of  branches  and 
leaves.  They  made  friends  with  the  natives  and 
were  suppHed  with  maize  and  cocoa-nuts  for  their 
present  use.  Pizarro  had  enough  knowledge  of  their 
language  to  gather  from  them  that  there  was  a  rich 
country  farther  south,  about  ten  days'  journey  over 
the  mountains,  ruled  by  a  great  king  whose  treasure 
in  gold  was  beyond  all  counting,  and  who  was  called 
"  The  Child  of  the  Sun/'  The  Spaniards  were  the 
more  ready  to  beheve  this  as  many  of  the  Indians 
wore  rudely  made  ornaments  of  gold. 

When  at  last  Montenegro  returned,  after  an 
absence  of  nearly  six  weeks,  with  a  supply  of  pro- 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  PERU  147 

visions,  Pizarro  and  his  worn-out  companions  were 
eager  to  return  once  more  to  their  vessel  and  to  say 
farewell  to  the  gruesome  coast,  which  they  named 
Famine  Port.  After  they  had  gone  some  leagues, 
they  landed  farther  to  the  south,  and  here  met 
with  a  native  tribe  which  proved  hostile,  attacked 
them  fiercely  with  arrows,  and  they  were  not  defeated 
without  a  loss  to  the  Spaniards  of  five  men.  It 
now  became  desirable  to  alter  their  plans,  as  Pizarro 
found  that  their  caravel  would  not  face  another 
storm,  and  it  was  necessary  to  send  it  back  for 
repairs.  As  he  was  waiting  for  its  return  at  a  village 
on  the  mainland,  Almagro  arrived  and  related  his 
adventures  while  in  search  of  his  friend,  whose  course 
he  had  traced,  while  he  also  had  met  with  opposi- 
tion from  the  natives.  They  decided  to  return  to 
Panama  and  try  to  raise  volunteers  for  a  larger 
expedition.  This  was  strongly  opposed  by  the 
Governor,  and  it  was  not  until  the  summer  of  1527 
that  at  last  Pizarro  and  Almagro  set  forth  with 
two  vessels  and  a  hundred  and  sixty  men. 

This  time  they  made  a  longer  cruise,  farther  out 
to  sea,  steering  for  the  Rio  de  San  Juan,  the  farthest 
point  which  Almagro  had  reached.  Saihng  up  the 
river,  they  took  some  Indian  villages  on  the  banks 
by  surprise,  carried  off  a  quantity  of  gold  orna- 
ments and  took  some  native  prisoners.  Almagro 
was  sent  back  to  Panama  with  these,  to  obtain  more 
recruits  if  possible,  while  Pizarro  remained  with  the 
rest  of  the  m.en  to  form  a  camp  and  explore  the 
surrounding  country.  Once  more  a  time  of  misery 
and    danger   was   before    the   adventurers  in  that 


148  A  GEEAT  EMPEROR 

tropical  climate,  amid  the  dank  vegetation,  the 
thickets  of  mangroves  where  mosquitoes  swarmed, 
and  the  hills  and  deep  ravines  in  which  they  lost  their 
way  among  the  matted  trees.  Here  they  were  always 
hable  to  the  attack  of  treacherous  natives  who  dogged 
their  steps  to  fall  upon  any  unfortunate  straggler. 
Then  came  the  pangs  of  famine,  when  their  only 
resource  was  in  seeking  the  wild  potato  root,  or 
strange  berries  which  might  prove  to  be  poisonous. 
As  time  passed  on,  the  men  lost  all  hope  and  courage, 
and  it  was  not  until  they  were  on  the  very  verge 
of  despair  that  the  ship  of  rescue  arrived.  Never 
was  any  one  more  gladly  welcomed  than  Almagro 
with  his  store  of  provisions,  and  also  with  an  addi- 
tional band  of  eighty  volunteers  who  were  eager  to 
join  the  great  adventure. 

All  past  sufferings  were  forgotten  when  once  more 
the  adventurers  set  forth  on  their  quest,  saihng  south- 
wards and  keeping  near  the  shore,  on  which  before 
long  they  saw  signs  of  cultivation,  with  towns  and 
villages  here  and  there  as  they  passed  the  headlands. 
At  one  flourishing  port,  Tacomez,  Pizarro  and  some 
of  the  men  went  on  shore,  but  they  could  not  induce 
the  Indians  to  hsten  to  their  peaceful  words,  and, 
finding  themselves  attacked  and  surrounded,  it  was 
as  much  as  they  could  do  to  retreat  and  return  to 
the  ships.  A  council  of  war  was  now  held,  and 
again  Almagro  suggested  that  he  should  take  the 
easier  task  of  returning  to  Panama  for  more  help, 
while  Pizarro  with  part  of  the  men  remained  behind. 
A  violent  quarrel  ensued  between  the  two  leaders ; 
but  when,  at  last,  peace  was  made,  the  men  who  were 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  PERU  149 

to  stay  with  Pizarro  managed  by  stratagem  to 
send  letters  of  complaint  which  contrived  to  reach 
the  Governor.  He  was  furious,  and  at  once  sent 
ships  to  fetch  back  every  Spaniard  and  put  a  final 
stop  to  the  expedition. 

"When  they  reached  the  island  of  Gallo,  the 
Governor's  message  was  given,  and  most  of  the  men 
were  eager  to  go  on  board  at  once.  This  was  the 
critical  moment  of  the  whole  enterprise,  for  to 
return  now  would  be  to  give  up  everything.  Pizarro 
turned  to  his  three  special  friends,  Ruiz  the  pilot, 
Ribera  the  treasurer,  and  Candia,  a  Greek.  He  told 
them  in  a  low  voice  that  the  ship  had  brought 
encouraging  letters  from  Almagro  and  Luque,  the 
priest,  promising  help.  Then  he  advanced  towards 
his  men,  who  were  grouped  together.  He  drew  his 
sword  and  traced  a  hne  on  the  sand  from  east  to 
west.  "  Friends  and  comrades,"  he  said,  '*  on  that 
side  are  toil,  hunger,  storms,  and  death ;  on  this 
side,  ease  and  pleasure.  There  lies  Peru,  with  its 
riches  ;  here,  Panama  and  its  poverty.  Choose  each 
man  what  best  becomes  a  brave  Castihan.  For  my 
part,  I  go  to  the  south."  So  saying,  he  stepped  across 
the  line.^  He  was  followed  by  his  three  faithful 
friends,  and  ten  others  also  crossed  the  hne ;  their 
names  are  preserved  in  the  annals  of  fame. 

The  Governor's  envoy  was  furious  at  the  rebelhon 
of  Pizarro  against  his  orders,  but  his  threats  and 
persuasions  had  no  effect,  and  the  gallant  thirteen 
remained  with  their  leader.  When  the  ships  had 
jset  sail,  Pizarro  and  his  httle  band  set  to  work  at 

>  Montesinos.    "Annales,"  MS,  Aflo.  1667. 


150  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

making  a  raft  to  cross  over  to  a  wooded  island  named 
Gorgona,  with  their  stores  and  provisions  and  some 
Indians  in  their  service.  Here  they  found  streams 
of  clear  water  with  fish,  and  the  undergrowi}h  of  the 
woods  gave  shelter  to  a  kind  of  pheasant  and  to  the 
hare  and  rabbit  of  the  country.  They  were  thus  in 
no  peril  of  starvation,  but  we  can  imagine  rather 
than  describe  what  it  must  have  been  hke  to  spend 
seven  long  months  on  that  distant  island,  watching 
and  looking  out  day  by  day  for  the  hoped-for  ship 
which  never  came.  Yet  Almagro  and  Luque  had 
done  their  best,  and  it  was  only  with  extreme  diffi- 
culty that  permission  was  obtained  at  length  from 
the  irate  Governor  for  a  vessel  to  be  sent,  with  only 
enough  men  as  were  needed  to  work  her,  under  the 
command  of  Almagro,  who  also  brought  stores  and 
provisions.  It  was  a  great  disappointment  to  Pizarro 
that  there  were  no  more  adventurers,  but  at  least 
they  could  now  set  forth  on  a  voyage  of  discovery, 
if  not  of  conquest. 

They  sailed  first  to  the  port  of  Tumbez,  lying  in 
the  sheltered  waters  of  a  great  gulf,  with  the  Cor- 
dilleras rising  from  the  fertile  plain,  and  farther 
beyond,  the  mighty  Andes  crowned  by  the  snowy 
summits  of  Chimborazo  and  Cotopaxi.  The  Spaniards 
met  with  a  friendly  reception  at  the  town  of  Tumbez, 
where  they  were  greatly  impressed  with  the  abun- 
dance of  gold  and^silver,  for  these  precious  metals 
seemed  to  be  used  for  all  household  implements, 
while  the  temple  was  dazzling  with  sheets  of  gold 
on  the  walls,  and  altars  and  statues  of  gold  every- 
where,   The   simple  inhabitants   looked   upon   the 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  PERU  151 

soldiers  in  armour  as  gods,  and  were  terrified  beyond 
measure  when  an  arquebus  was  let  off.  When 
Pizarro  left  the  port  his  ship  was  full  of  presents 
of  bananas,  plantains,  yucca,  Indian  corn,  sweet 
potatoes,  cocoa-nuts,  pineapples,  and  various  game 
and  fish.  Passing  along  the  coast,  he  stopped  at 
other  places,  and  everywhere  heard  the  same  story 
of  a  city  beyond  the  mountains  whose  treasure  of 
gold  and  silver  no  man  could  count. 

The  adventurers  felt  that  they  had  learnt  enough, 
in  this  voyage  of  discovery,  to  be  sure  of  the  existence 
of  this  marvellous  kingdom  of  Peru,  but  they  had 
become  more  impressed  with  the  necessity  of  a 
large  and  well-armed  expedition  if  there  was  to  be 
any  hope  of  conquering  the  Land  of  the  Inca.  The 
only  wise  plan  would  therefore  be  to  return  and 
report  what  they  had  seen  and  heard,  and  then  set 
forth  in  earnest  on  an  invasion  of  conquest.  They 
had  now  reached  about  the  ninth  degree  of  southern 
latitude,  when  once  more  they  turned  on  a  northern 
route  and  sailed  back  to  Tumbez,  from  thence  steer- 
ing straight  for  the  harbour  of  Panama. 

An  urgent  appeal  was  again  made  to  the  Governor 
to  aid  them  in  enhsting  volunteers  and  collecting 
money  for  the  great  adventure  ;  but  all  was  in  vain. 
At  length  Pizarro  made  up  his  mind  to  seek  help 
from  the  crown  of  Spain  ;  to  tell  his  story  and  show 
the  products  of  the  unknown  land  to  the  Emperor 
himself.  It  was  as  much  as  he  could  do  to  obtain 
funds  for  the  journey  for  himself  and  his  friend 
Pedro  de  Candia  ;  but  at  length  they  crossed  the 
Isthmus,  embarked  at  Nombre  de  Dios,  and,  after  a 


152  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

favourable  voyage,  landed  at  Seville  in  the  early 
summer  of  1528.  Here,  by  the  irony  of  fate,  he  found 
himself  arrested  and  put  in  prison  for  debt,  by 
reason  of  some  claim  on  the  city  of  Panama  ;  this  was 
his  reception  after  twenty  years'  absence  from  home. 
Fortunately  his  companion,  Candia,  exerted  himself 
to  appeal  to  the  Court,  from  whence  an  immediate 
summons  came  for  his  appearance  before  the  Emperor 
at  Toledo.  Pizarro  was  most  graciously  received, 
and  his  story  aroused  the  greatest  interest  in  Charles, 
who  was  especially  dehghted  with  the  llama,  the 
only  beast  of  burden  yet  known  in  the  New  World. 
He  fully  appreciated  the  value  of  the  fine  fabrics 
made  from  its  hair,  while  the  gold  and  silver  orna- 
ments of  every  kind  spoke  for  themselves.  The 
Emperor  was  deeply  touched  at  the  story  of  the 
terrible  sufferings  of  Pizarro  and  his  faithful  followers, 
who  had  still  pressed  on  with  such  unconquerable 
spirit. 

Charles  promised  his  support  and  influence,  and 
recommended  the  cause  of  Pizarro  to  the  high  con- 
sideration of  the  Council  of  the  Indies,  for  he  was 
himself  soon  about  to  embark  for  Italy.  It  is 
curious  that  Cortes,  the  conqueror  of  Mexico,  should 
also  have  been  at  the  Court  of  Toledo  to  demand  the 
redress  of  his  wrongs ;  he  was  at  the  close  of  his 
career,  as  Pizarro  was  at  the  beginning  of  his  mighty 
contest  in  Peru.  These  two  men  were  to  go  down 
to  fame  as  conquerors  of  the  North  and  the  South  ; 
those  who  had  been  mainly  successful  in  opening 
the  golden  gates  by  which  the  treasures  of  the  newly 
discovered  lands  were  to  fill  the  coffers  of  Spain. 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  PEEU  153 

But  the  Council  of  the  Indies  was  slow  to  move, 
and  the  gallant  adventurer  had  long  to  wait  and 
endure  the  pangs  of  hope  deferred,  before  the  Empress 
Isabel,  who  was  left  as  Regent  of  the  reahn,  took  the 
matter  in  hand,  and  on  July  25,  1528,  signed  the 
memorable  Capitulation  which  settled  the  powers 
and  privileges  of  Pizarro.  He  was  to  have  the  right 
of  discovery  and  conquest  in  the  province  of  Peru, 
or  New  Castile  as  it  was  called,  for  200  leagues  south 
of  Santiago  ;  he  was  to  be  Governor  and  Captain-  . 
General  for  hfe,  with  other  dignities  which  almost 
made  him  a  Viceroy.  Various  posts  of  honour 
were  granted  to  all  his  thirteen  loyal  companions 
of  the  desert  island,  and  the  priest  Luque  was 
appointed  Bishop  of  Tunibez,  and  protector  ^of  the 
Indians  of  Peru.  Emigration  was  to  be  encouraged, 
and  many  rules  were  made  for  the  protection  of  the 
natives,  and  Pizarro  was  to  take  with  him  a  certain 
number  of  priests  for  their  teaching  and  conversion. 
The  new  Governor  was  to  raise  a  force  of  250  men, 
and  the  Government  of  Castile  would  hold  itself  re- 
sponsible for  the  supply  of  artillery  and  mihtary 
equipment.^ 

Pizarro  left  Toledo  for  his  native  place,  Truxillo, 
where  he  found  friends  and  followers,  amongst 
whom  were  his  four  brothers.  The  eldest,  Hernando 
Pizarro,  a  cruel  and  unscrupulous  man,  was  destined 
to  have  an  evil  influence  in  the  future.  After  many 
difi&culties,  Francisco  Pizarro  embarked  with  a  small 
squadron  of  three  vessels  to  join  his  brother  Her- 
nando with  the  rest  of  the  expedition  at  the  Canaries, 
>  Oviedo,  "  Hist,  de  las  Indiaa,"  Parte  3,  lib.  viii,  cap.  i. 


154  A  GEEAT  EMPEROR 

from  whence  they  sailed  on  to  Nombre  de  Dios. 
Here  they  met  Luque  and  Almagro,  who  was  extremely 
disappointed  to  find  that  most  of  the  honours  and 
titles  ha,d  been  conferred  on  Pizarro.  There  was 
danger  of  an  open  quarrel ;  but,  for  the  sake  of  the 
expedition,  Almagro  was  generous  enough  to  forgive 
what  he  looked  upon  as  treachery  on  the  part  of  his 
friend.  But  the  wound  rankled,  and  was  to  have 
serious  consequences. 

It  was  not  until  January  1531  that  at  length  the 
adventurers  set  forth  from  the  Bay  of  Panama  on 
the  third  and  last  expedition  for  the  conquest  of 
Peru.  A  solemn  service  had  been  held  and  the  royal 
standard  had  been  consecrated  in  the  cathedral,  but 
volunteers  had  been  slow  to  join,  and  the  little 
army  consisted  of  180  men,  with  twenty-seven  horses 
for  the  cavalry ;  but  the  arms,  ammunition,  and 
equipment  were  much  better  than  on  any  of  the 
former  occasions.  The  weather  was  stormy  at  that 
time  of  year,  and  on  reaching  the  Bay  of  St.  Matthew 
Pizarro  resolved  to  disembark  his  force  and  advance 
along  the  coast,  while  the  ships  accompanied  them 
near  the  shore.  It  was  a  very  rough  and  trying 
march,  but  the  Spaniards  arrived  safely  at  a  small 
town  in  the  province  of  Coaque,  from  which  the 
inhabitants  fled  in  terror  at  their  approach.  In  the 
deserted  huts  great  treasure  of  gold  and  silver  was 
found,  and  a  number  of  precious  stones,  for  this  was 
the  region  of  emeralds,  and  Pizarro  acquired  one 
the  size  of  a  pigeon's  egg.  So  ignorant  were  the  men 
of  their  value  that  many  were  broken  up  with 
hammers,  "  to  test  if  they  were  real." 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  PERU  155 

Pizarro  was  so  delighted  with  this  rich  booty  that 
he  determined  to  send  it  back  to  Panama  in  the 
ships,  hoping  that  it  would  attract  many  more 
recruits  to  join  them.  The  journey  was  continued 
through  wastes  of  sand  which  nearly  bhnded  the 
men,  and  soon  a  strange  plague  broke  out  amongst 
them,  from  which  they  had  found  the  natives  suffer- 
ing in  the  wretched  villages  they  passed.  Weary  and 
worn  with  illness,  they  murmured  bitterly,  and  it 
needed  all  their  leader's  persuasion  to  lead  them  to 
the  shores  of  what  is  now  called  the  Gulf  of  Guayaquil, 
in  which  is  the  little  island  of  Puna,  to  which  Pizarro 
had  his  followers  taken  across  in  rafts  by  the  natives. 
Here  they  were  treacherously  attacked  by  the  men 
of  Puna,  but  they  managed  to  take  the  chiefs 
prisoners,  and  gave  them  over  into  the  hands  of 
their  enemies  on  the  mainland,  the  men  of  Tumbez, 
after  a  battle  in  which  many  Indians  were  killed 
and  four  of  the  Spaniards. 

After  this  followed  a  weary  time  of  danger  and 
anxiety,  until  one  day,  far  out  on  the  open  sea,  two 
caravels  were  seen  approaching.  It  was  a  joyful 
moment  when  Pizarro  welcomed  the  new-comers, 
and  found  that  his  band  now  numbered  300  men. 
With  this  force  he  actually  proposed  to  conquer  the 
rich  land  of  Peru,  where  he  had  learnt  that  the 
warhke  monarch  raised  by  conscription  an  army  of 
200,000  soldiers.  He  trusted  much  to  the  fact  that 
he  had  recently  been  told  there  were  two  opposing 
rivals  for  the  throne,  and  he  hoped  to  profit  by  their 
quarrel.  The  late  Inca,  Huayna  Capac,  had  divided 
lain  realm  between  his  two  sons.     The  mild  Huascar 


156  *    A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

inherited  the  southern  part,  whose  capital  was  Cuzco, 
while  the  warhke  Atahuallpa  received  the  northern 
kingdom,  of  which  Quito  was  the  chief  city.  There 
had  been  a  fierce  war  between  the  two,  and  Huascar 
had  been  taken  prisoner  by  his  brother. 

Pizarro  now  crossed  over  to  the  mainland,  and, 
after  more  fighting  at  Tumbez,  was  able  to  make  a 
settlement  there,  in  a  rich  valley  where  later  the  city 
of  San  Miguel  was  built.  Here  he  left  a  portion  of 
his  men,  taking  with  him  173  soldiers  and  three 
priests,  for,  although  he  had  not  the  devout  en- 
thusiasm of  Cortes,  he  was  yet  compelled  to  bear  in 
mind  that  the  pious  Emperor  desired  this  expedition 
to  be  a  religious  crusade  as  well  as  an  enterprise  of 
conquest.  The  course  taken  by  the  adventurers  led 
straight  into  the  heart  of  the  country,  through  a 
fertile  and  pleasant  land,  while,  wherever  they 
passed,  the  natives  welcomed  them  with  friendly 
hospitahty. 

But  Pizarro  had  an  instinctive  feehng  that  there 
was  a  spirit  of  disait'ection  amongst  some  of  his 
followers ;  and,  after  five  days'  journey,  they  were 
al]  summoned  by  bugle-call  to  appear  on  parade 
before  him.  As  he  rode  down  the  line,  he  carefully 
watched  every  face,  and  then  addressed  them,  tell- 
ing the  soldiers  that  they  were  now  at  the  crisis  of 
their  fate,  and  if  any  were  faint-hearted  it  was  not 
too  late  to  turn  back  to  San  Miguel.  He  would  only 
pursue  this  great  adventure  with  true  and  vahant 
men  who,  like  himself,  hpd  no  misgivings  and  went 
forward  in  hope  and  courage. 

Of  all  the  company,  only  nine  men  declared  them- 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  PERU  157 

selves  anxious  to  turn  back ;  the  others  pushed 
forward  with  the  eager  cry,  **  Advance  !  and  lead 
us  on  !  "  By  this  bold  stroke  Pizarro  won  the  hearts 
of  his  men,  for  he  knew  they  would  now  follow  him 
to  danger  or  death  without  a  murmur. 

The  Spaniards  now  pushed  on  steadily  towards 
the  mountain  cit}  of  which  rumours  constantly 
reached  them  with  news  that  the  mighty  Inca 
Atahuallpa  was  encamped  with  a  great  army  in  a 
valley  beyond.  Envoys  were  sent  on  both  sides  and 
there  were  various  adventures,  the  crossing  of  rivers 
and  other  perils,  until  they  reached  the  foot  of  the 
great  Andes  over  which  lay  their  way.  They  had  a 
friendly  Indian  as  their  guide  who  led  them  upward 
by  a  steep  narrow  pass,  until  they  encamped  on  the 
side  of  the  mountain.  They  continued  at  break  of 
day  the  perilous  ascent,  often  winding  by  a  steep 
ledge  round  the  rocky  flank  of  the  mountain,  so 
narrow  that  the  horseman  could  scarcely  find  room 
to  lead  his  horse  by  the  bridle,  while  a  dreadful 
abyss  threatened  him  below.  As  they  passed  onward 
through  deep  defiles  with  overhanging  rocks,  they 
watched  anxiously  for  a  sudden  attack  of  the  Indians 
from  above  which  would  give  them  no  chance  of 
escape.     But  all  was  silent,  and  so  far  they  were  safe. 

Day  by  day  they  seemed  to  be  chmbing  upward 
towards  the  sky,  while  the  pine  forests  were  left 
behind  and  the  rocky  path  became  more  bare  and 
desolate,  until  at  length  the  weary  travellers  reached 
the  topmost  summit  of  the  pass.  Here  on  this  bleak 
plateau,  with  the  snow-clad  peaks  above  them,  in  a 
piercing  bitter  wind,  they  spent  the  night  and  next 


158  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

morning  received  an  embassy  from  the  Inca,  who 
expressed  his  wilHngness  to  receive  the  strangers. 
From  his  own  scouts  Pizarro  learnt  that  an  army  of 
50,000  troops  was  encamped  around  Atahuallpa,  and 
that  there  was  every  reason  to  fear  treachery.  How- 
ever this  might  be,  there  was  now  no  retreat  possible, 
and  the  little  band  of  Spaniards  continued  their 
steep  downward  way  in  the  descent  of  the  Andes 
from  the  eastern  side.  The  hardships  they  met 
with  were  almost  as  great  as  in  the  ascent,  and  it 
took  them  seven  days  before  they  suddenly  came  in 
sight  of  a  broad,  fertile  valley  outspread  before 
them.  Below  them  rose  the  white  walls  of  Caxa- 
malca,  and  farther  beyond  could  be  seen  a  mighty 
array  of  tents  and  a  great  ghmmer  of  shining  lances. 

When  the  city  was  reached,  it  was  found  to  be 
silent  and  deserted.  Pizarro  at  once  decided  to 
encamp  there,  while  he  sent  on  his  brother  Hernando, 
with  thirty-five  horsemen,  the  finest  cavaliers  in  his 
company,  to  pay  his  respects  to  the  great  Inca  and 
invite  him  to  visit  the  envoy  of  the  mighty  Emperor 
Charles,  at  the  city  of  Caxamalca.  This  daring  move 
was  carried  out  successfully  ;  with  great  difficulty 
the  Inca  was  approached,  and,  proudly  confident 
of  his  absolute  command  of  the  situation,  he  con- 
descended to  accept  Pizarro's  invitation.  He  had 
been  much  impressed  by  the  feats  of  horsemanship  of 
the  Spanish  cavahy,  which  had  alarmed  some  of  his 
suite,  but  which  he  watched  with  apparent  indiffer- 
ence. 

The  visit  of  the  Inca  was  awaited  by  the  Spaniards 
with  intense  anxiety,  for  with  their  small  force  of 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  PERU  159 

armed  men  to  face  a  mighty,  well-trained  army, 
what  could  be  the  result  but  absolute  disaster,  if 
their  fears  of  treachery  were  justified  ?  That  night 
Pizarro  held  a  council  of  war;  and  when  all  the 
important  soldiers  had  made  their  various  suggestions, 
he  startled  them  by  a  desperate  project.  It  was 
nothing  less  than  to  lay  an  ambush  for  the  splendid 
Inca  of  Peru,  and  in  the  face  of  his  whole  army  to 
take  him  prisoner. 

Dumb  with  amazement,  his  companions  could 
scarcely  reahze  the  idea  of  such  a  daring  and  unscru- 
pulous plan,  but  not  one  voice  was  raised  in  protest 
against  such  a  masterpiece  of  diplomacy.  There 
followed  a  time  of  anxious  waiting  before  the  Inca 
actually  arrived,  seated  on  a  throne  of  massive  gold 
which  was  borne  on  a  gorgeous  litter  by  eighty  of 
his  greatest  nobles.  A  stately  figure  in  his  royal 
robes,  with  his  ornaments  of  gold,  and  a  necklace  of 
immense  emeralds,  Atahuallpa  reached  the  central 
square  of  the  city,  which  was  crowded  with  his 
retinue  of  over  5,000  warriors.  He  asked  where 
the  Spaniards  were,  and  the  chaplain  of  Pizarro  came 
forward  with  a  Bible  in  one  hand  and  a  crucifix  in 
the  other,  and  began  to  explain,  by  means  of  an  inter- 
preter, the  Christian  rehgion,  ending  by  advising  him 
to  become  a  vassal  of  the  great  Emperor  Charles. 

The  Inca  had  listened  with  impatience,  and  angrily 
rephed  that  he  would  be  no  man's  vassal,  for  he  was 
the  greatest  prince  in  the  world.  He  seized  the 
Bible  which  the  friar  had  held  up  as  his  authority, 
and  angrily  threw  it  to  the  ground,  exclaiming  that 
he  would  have  an  account  of  all  the  doings  of  these 


160  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

strangers,  and  full  satisfaction  for  his  wrongs.  At 
these  threats,  Pizarro  gave  the  signal ;  a  cannon 
was  fired,  and  the  sound  of  a  trumpet  summoned  all 
his  men  to  a  sudden  and  violent  attack  on  the  palan- 
quin of  the  Inca.  A  fearful  scene  of  bloodshed  and 
horror  followed,  and  success  was  long  doubtful,  but 
at  length  Atahuallpa  was  a  prisoner,  and  the  hosts 
of  the  Indians  fled  in  consternation. 

This  was  in  fact  the  central  moment  and  the 
culminating  point  of  the  conquest  of  Peru.  We  have 
not  space  to  dwell  upon  the  story  of  all  the  vicissi- 
tudes and  the  terrible  battles  lost  and  won  by  the 
Spaniards.  Attempts  were  made  to  play  one  royal 
brother  against  the  other,  and  the  gentle  Huascar  lost 
his  hfe.  Gold  beyond  the  dream  of  avarice  and 
precious  treasures  were  grasped  by  the  adventurers, 
but  they  were  dearly  bought  by  cruel  treachery  and 
fierce  quarrels  amongst  the  leaders.  On  some  pretext 
the  unfortunate  Inca  Atahuallpa  was  put  to  death, 
but  this  cruel  deed  brought  no  peace  to  the  con- 
querors, who  before  long  had  civil  war  amongst 
themselves.  The  fine  old  veteran,  Almagro,  was 
defeated,  and  tried  for  his  hfe,  when,  to  the  eternal 
disgrace  of  all  concerned,  a  verdict  of  death  was 
returned  against  him,  and  he  was  executed  in  July 
1538. 

Three  years  later  Francisco  Pizarro  himself  was 
assassinated  by  the  adherents  of  Almagro,  and  thus 
his  story  ends  in  bloodshed  and  disaster.  As  we 
have  seen,  the  great  adventurer  was  a  man  of  daunt- 
less courage  and  stubborn  perseverance ;  a  most 
fortunate  adventurer  in  his  conquest.     But  his  ruhng 


MARGUERITE    OF   AUSTRIA. 


160] 


>• 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  PEKU  161 

motives  were  avarice  and  ambition ;  he  did  not,  like 
Cortes,  devote  himself  to  the  civilization  of  his 
conquered  foes,  but  oppressed  them  in  every  way, 
while  he  suffered  the  fair  country  to  be  pillaged  by 
his  soldiers,  and  the  wretched  natives  were  driven 
as  slaves  to  toil  in  the  mines.  The  brothers  of  Pizarro 
gave  trouble  to  the  Crown,  but  in  1542  Charles  did 
his  utmost,  with  the  advice  of  Las  Casas,  in  passing 
laws  to  protect  the  Indians. 

The  Emperor  was  always  on  the  side  of  mercy, 
and  we  are  told  by  those  who  have  deeply  studied  the 
subject  that  it  is  owing  to  his  wise  pohcy  that  "  from 
Northern  Mexico  to  Southern  Chih  the  Indians  have 
been  suffered  to  survive  and  to  form  the  greater  part 
of   the   population.''    His   repeated  instructions   to 
the  Conquerors  were  to  keep  faith  with  the  people 
and  to  deal  gently  with  them,  especially  in  the  way 
of  conversion.    He  had  much  to  contend  with  in  the 
cruelty  and  greed  of  the  colonists,  but  he  was  always 
strongly  on  the  side  of  the  oppressed,  and  gave  the 
warmest  encouragem.ent  to  all  the  reforms  suggested 
by  Las  Casas  and  to  missionary  enterprise. 


11 


CHAPTER  XIII 

CHARLES   RETURNS   TO   SPAIN — DEATH   OF   HIS   WIFE 

The  Emperor  in  Spain — Difficulty  in  obtaining  supplies  from  the 
Cortes — Death  of  his  wife,  the  Empress  Isabel,  to  his  lasting 
grief,  1539 — Insurrection  of  Ghent — Charles  travels  to  the  Nether- 
lands, through  France,  against  the  advice  of  his  friends — Chronicle 
of  his  journey. — He  is  met  at  Valenciennes  by  his  sister  Marie  of 
Hungary,  the  Regent,  and  his  niece  Christina — Later  life  of  her 
father  Christian  II  of  Denmark. 

In  order  to  carry  out  his  plan  of  a  crusade,  Charles  V 
sent  out  a  summons  to  the  States-General  of  all  his 
provinces  of  Castile,  to  assemble  at  Toledo,  where 
he  travelled  with  the  Empress  on  September  21, 
1538.  Here  the  Emperor  was  destined  to  meet  with 
disappointment,  for  the  Cortes  were  in  an  obstinate 
mood,  and  refused  to  carry  out  any  of  his  sugges- 
tions for  paying  the  immense  debt  which  he  had 
incurred  in  the  recent  wars  against  France  and  the 
Turks.  This  was  not  the  first  time  that  the  dele- 
gates had  refused  to  raise  extra  taxation  for  war 
expenses,  for  they  had  done  so  ten  years  before,  in 
1528,  when  the  clergy  and  the  nobles  were  disposed 
to  be  on  the  side  of  the  Pope.  They  had,  however, 
then  granted  a  liberal  subsidy. 

It  is  well  to  remember  that  the  Cortes  of  Castile 
had  no  real  legal  authority,  and  only  represented 

162 


/ 


CHARLES  RETURNS   TO  SPAIN        163 

eighteen  towns.  Ferdinand  and  Isabel  indeed  had 
never  summoned  them  for  many  years,  but  Charles, 
with  his  inherent  love  of  order  and  justice,  persisted 
in  doing  so,  and  it  was  even  made  a  cause  of  complaint. 
As  the  usual  grant  was  paid  in  three  annual  instal- 
ments, the  obvious  plan  was  to  summon  the  dele- 
gates every  three  years.  The  Emperor  suggested 
on  this  occasion,  in  the  autumn  of  1538,  that  besides 
the  usual  tax  of  one- tenth  of  the  value  of  all  objects 
sold,  there  should  be  a  tax  on  meat  to  pay  the 
ordinary  expenses  of  government.  This  would  leave 
the  share  paid  on  gold  and  treasure  from  the  New 
World,  and  other  resources,  for  paying  the  great  war 
debt  incurred.  The  Cortes  rephed  to  this  demand 
by  insisting  that  he  should  live  entirely  in  Spain, 
that  he  should  reduce  the  expenses  of  his  Court,  and 
that  he  should  promise  universal  peace. 

Of  course  this  last  was  an  impossible  demand,  and 
was  the  more  unreasonable  as  the  recent  war  expenses 
had  been  incurred  mainly  for  the  sake  of  Spain,  in 
the  protection  of  Navarre  against  the  French  and 
the  successful  expedition  against  Tunis.  The  dis- 
cussion at  Toledo  went  on  for  three  months,  and  the 
clergy  would  have  agreed,  but  the  nobles  absolutely 
refused  to  allow  the  tax.  The  towns  also  protested 
against  paying  duty  on  meat,  but  offered  a  subsidy 
if  the  Emperor  would  withdraw  the  demand  and 
also  promise  that  offices  and  titles  should  not  be 
sold  in  future. 

Charles  was  deeply  hurt  by  the  failure  of  his  plan, 
and  when  he  dismissed  the  clergy  and  nobles  from 
the  meeting  he  inwardly  resolved  never  to  summon 


164  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

them  again.    He  had  specially  invited  them  on  this 
occasion  in  the  hope  that  they  would  agree  with 
him.    Fortunately  for  the  Crown  of  Spain,  it  had 
other  revenues.     By  the  wise  foresight  of  his  guar- 
dians, Charles  had  been  appointed,  in  succession  to 
his  grandfather  Ferdinand,  Head  and  Grand  Master 
of  the  three  great  Mihtary  orders,  whose  large  pro- 
perty was  of  immense  value  to  the  reigning  sover- 
eign.    He  also  received  export  and  import  duties  of 
one-eighth,  and  one-fifth  on  all  the  gold,  silver,  and 
other  treasures  from  the  new  colonies.     Large  amounts 
were  pouring  in  at  that  time,  from  Peru  especially. 
A  great  proportion  of  the  salt-works  and  mines  in 
Spain  were  also  the  property  of  the  Crown,  which 
hkewise    received    custom-house    duties    from    the 
frontiers.     Last  but   not  least,   the  Church  paid  a 
large  contribution  towards  the  revenue ;    two-ninths 
of  the  tithes,  and  occasionally,  wdth  the  Pope's  per- 
mission, a  tenth  of  the  whole  ecclesiastical  income 
derived  from  Spain.     It  was  therefore  very  important 
to  be  on  good  terms  with  the  Pope. 

Since  his  return  to  Spain,  Charles  had  received 
disquieting  news  from  his  sister  Marie,  the  Regent  of 
the  Netherlands,  but  it  was  quite  impossible  for 
him  to  leave  Spain,  as  the  Empress  was  in  very 
deUcate  health,  and  her  condition  caused  increasing 
anxiety.  She  had  been  much  distressed  by  the  loss 
of  her  favourite  sister  Beatrice,  the  year  before ; 
the  wife  of  Charles  III,  Duke  of  Savoy.  Isabel  was 
not  long  to  survive  her,  for  on  May  1,  1539,  a  fifth 
child  was  born  to  her,  a  son  who  scarcely  survived 
his  birth,   and  she  passed^' away  to  the  exceeding 


CHARLES  RETURNS  TO  SPAIN       165 

grief  of  her  husband.  As  he  writes  in  his  Memoir, 
many  years  afterwards  :  "It  pleased  God  to  call 
her  to  Plimself,  of  which  we  may  be  certain,  seeing 
His  great  mercy." 

The  Emperor  had  knelt  by  the  bedside  of  his 
loved  wife  for  hours,  and  when  all  was  over  he 
could  not  face  the  demands  of  ordinary  hfe,  but 
retired  to  the  Monastery  of  the  Hieronomites  outside 
the  walls  of  Toledo,  there  to  be  alone  with  his  sorrow 
and  devote  himself  to  prayer  and  fasting.  From 
that  time,  every  morning  of  his  hfe  began  with  a 
mass  for  the  soul  of  the  dead  Empress.  It  is  quite 
possible  that  at  this  period  he  first  began  to  indulge 
the  hope  of  giving  up  the  cares  of  State  and  devoting 
himself  to  a  hfe  of  seclusion.  He  remained  in  the 
Monastery  until  June  27,  nearly  two  months,  and 
then  returned  to  Toledo,  where  splendid  funeral 
rites  were  held,  amid  the  general  mourning  of  the 
people,  who  were  devoted  to  their  Empress.  It  is 
interesting  to  remember  that  this  had  been  by  no 
means  a  marriage  of  inchnation.  After  the  many 
pohtical  betrothals  which  had  been  made  for  the 
young  prince,  he  had  at  length,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
six,  yielded  to  the  very  strong  desire  of  his  subjects 
for  an  alhance  with  Portugal.  His  cousin  Isabel 
appears  to  have  been  a  very  charming  woman; 
beautiful,  as  we  can  see  from  Titian's  famous  portrait 
of  her,  and  extremely  intelhgent,  as  we  perceive 
from  the  admirable  way  in  which  she  governed  the 
realm  of  Spain  during  her  husband's  absence. 

Charles  had  the  highest  opinion  of  her  judgment, 
and  when  he  made  his  wiU  "in  February  1535 — aa 


166  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

he  told  his  son  Philip  later — he  and  the  Empress 
had  decided  that  he  ruled  over  too  many  provinces 
for  one  sovereign,  for  the  absence  of  their  lord  made 
his  people  discontented,  so  his  wish  was  that  his 
Burgundian  provinces  should  be  governed  by  his 
second  son  if  one  was  born  to  him,  and  failing  this, 
by  his  eldest  daughter.  We  can  gather  from  this 
how  deep  must  have  been  his  disappointment  when 
little  Don  Juan  died  in  infancy,  and  the  last  nameless 
prince  scarcely  saw  the  hght  of  day.  Yet  so  great 
was  the  devotion  of  Charles  to  the  memory  of  his  lost 
wife,  that  no  persuasions  could  induce  him  to  marry 
again.  Isabel  left  three  children  surviving  her ; 
Philip  born  in  1527,  Mary  born  in  1528,  and  Juana 
born  in  1534,  whose  story  will  be  told  in  due  time, 
as  at  this  time  they  are  still  quite  young.  Under  a 
reserved  and  calm  manner  Charles  had  a  warm  and 
affectionate  nature ;  he  was  unchanging  in  his 
devotion  to  his  friends,  and  indeed  this  constancy 
was  often  a  serious  danger  to  him  during  the  early 
years  of  his  reign.  In  the  case  of  his  domestic 
affections,  his  intensely  loyal  and  tenacious  character 
is  especially  worthy  of  notice.  After  the  death  of 
his  wife  he  could  never  hear  her  name  without 
emotion,  and  his  love  remained  so  strong  to  the 
last  that  on  liis  death-bed  he  asked  for  her  portrait, 
and  he  passed  away  pressing  her  crucifix  to  his  heart. 
It  was  at  Madrid,  in  July  1539,  that  Charles 
received  definite  news  of  the  insurrection  of  Ghent, 
and  at  once  sent  a  deputation  under  the  Prince  of 
Orange  to  support  the  authority  of  the  Regent,  and 
began  to  make  arrangements  for  his  own  journey 


CHARLES  RETURNS  TO  SPAIN       167 

to  the  Netherlands.  His  first  idea  was  to  embark 
at  Barcelona  and  go  by  sea,  but  he  received  a 
very  pressing  invitation  from  Fran9ois  I  that  he 
should  travel  through  France,  offering  every  security 
for  his  safety,  and  a  warm  welcome  ;  assuring  him 
that  he  should  look  upon  it  as  a  token  of  friendship. 
The  Emperor  could  not  possibly  feel  any  real  con- 
fidence in  his  treacherous  foe,  and  an  anxious  letter 
from  his  sister  begged  him  to  have  guarantees  in 
writing,  but  after  some  hesitation  Charles  decided 
to  accept.  As  a  further  security,  he  received  letters 
of  invitation  not  only  from  the  King  and  Queen 
Eleonore,  but  also  from  the  Dauphin  and  his  brother, 
and  from  the  Cardinal  of  Lorraine  and  the  High 
Constable  ;  all  were  in  the  most  affectionate  strain, 
and  promised  he  should  not  be  troubled  with  pohtical 
matters.        , 

The  Emperor  left  his  son  Phihp,  a  boy  of  twelve, 
the  nominal  Regent  of  Spain,  with  a  paper  of  instruc- 
tions to  be  carried  out  in  case  of  accident.  This  was 
an  elaborate  expression  of  his  proposed  matrimonial 
arrangements  with  France.  The  Duke  of  Orleans 
was  either  to  marry  the  daughter  of  Ferdinand  of 
Austria,  and  receive  Milan  as  her  dowry,  or  he  was 
to  have  as  wife  the  Infanta  Mary,  with  Burgundy 
as  her  wedding  gift.  Or  there  was  another  way  to 
unite  the  houses  of  Hapsburg  and  Valois.  If  Mary 
married  Orleans,  Ferdinand's  second  son  should 
have  the  French  princess  Marguerite  as  his  bride, 
with  Milan  as  her  dowry.  The  Emperor's  son  Phihp 
should  then  marry  Jeanne  d'Albret,  heiress  of 
Navarre,  and  so  settle  the  disputed  rights  of  that 


168  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

province.  In  these  elaborate  and  complicated  mar- 
riage arrangements  we  are  reminded  of  Maximilian's 
constant  policy  with  regard  to  alhances.  All  this 
diplomacy  was  only  in  the  air,  but  Phihp  was  advised 
to  carry  it  out  in  case  of  his  father's  death. 

In  the  Itinerary  of  the  Emperor,  written  in  Flemish 
by  his  private  secretary,  Vandenesse,  we  have  a 
very  full  account  of  the  journey  through  France, 
which  evidently  made  a  great  impression  upon  him. 

After  all  had  been  carefully  settled  for  carrying 
on  the  government  in  Spain  during  his  absence,  the 
Emperor  sent  his  Prime  Minister,  M.  de  Granvelle, 
in  advance  to  the  King  of  France,  at  Loches,  to 
await  his  own  arrival  there,  while  he  himself  set 
forth  on  November  12,  He  arrived  at  Valladolid  on 
the  20th,  and  from  thence  proceeded  on  "by  post/' 
He  took  a  large  suite  of  nobles  besides  the  gentlemen 
of  his  household,  secretaries,  and  attendants.  His 
Majesty  had  previously  sent  on  his  equerry,  Dande- 
lot,  from  Madrid,  with  twenty-five  beautiful  Spanish 
horses,  destined  as  a  present  for  King  Fran9ois. 
Passing  through  Burgos,  Vittoria,  and  St.  Sebastian, 
the  Emperor  was  met  at  Fuenterrabia  by  the  Duke 
of  Orleans,  second  son  of  the  King  of  France  ;  and 
they  remained  there  for  the  night  in  the  same  quarters 
together.  On  November  27  they  passed  the  night 
at  Bayonne,  and  here  were  joined  by  the  Dauphin, 
the  Constable,  and  other  princes  and  nobles.  They 
all  travelled  on  together  through  Aix,  to  Langon, 
from  whence  they  sailed  to  Bordeaux.  "On  the 
4th  of  December  at  noon,  they  were  at  Camignan, 
and  at  night  at  Montluc."    This  constantly  repeated 


CHARLES  RETimNS  TO  SPAIN       169 

chronicle  of  the  stately  journey  through  France 
appears  to  show  that  they  rode  all  the  morning, 
paused  for  midday  dinner,  and  then  continued  the 
journey  till  evening.  Probably  the  term  "  by 
post''  would  mean  that  relays  of  fresh  horses  were 
provided  on  the  way. 

So  the  journey  continued,  day  by  day,  until  at 
length,  on  December  10,  at  noon,  they  reached  La 
Roche  and  arrived  in  the  evening  at  Loches,  where 
the  Emperor  was  warmly  welcomed  by  bis  sister 
Eleonore  and  the  King  of  France,  who  awaited  him 
at  the  entrance  of  the  Chateau,  attended  by  a  great 
company  of  Cardinals  and  Princes.  Amongst  the 
ladies  present  at  the  grand  reception  of  Loches  were 
the  Dauphine  Catherine  dei  Medici,  and  Marguerite 
the  daughter  of  Fran9ois.  After  some  splendid 
banquets  and  a  few  days'  rest — ■ 

'*  The  Emperor  and  all  the  party  which  had  arrived 
with  him — the  King  travelhng  in  a  coach,  as  at  that 
time  he  could  not  ride,  and  the  Queen  in  a  litter — 
went  at  noon  to  a  house  called  the  '  Pavilion ' ;  at 
night  they  rested  at  Senechaux,  and  on  the  evening 
of  the  14th  they  reached  Amboise.  Here,  in  the 
King's  palace,  there  is  a  winding  staircase,  so  con- 
structed that  you  may  ride  on  horseback  to  the  top 
of  it.  In  the  centre  of  this  winding  staircase  a 
machine  had  been  contrived,  which,  by  burning 
slowly  down  to  the  bottom,  was  to  give  light  to  all 
those  riding  up  and  down.  No  sooner,  however,  had 
the  Emperor  got  half-way  up  the  staircase,  than  the 
whole  mass  suddenly  caught  fire,  and,  there  being  no 


170  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

opening  at  the  top,  occasioned  such  dreadful  heat, 
mingled  with  smoke,  that  the  Emperor  and  all  the 
persons  present,  narrowly  escaped  suffocation.  .  .  . 
Still,  however,  no  Hves  were  lost ;  but  the  King  was 
so  enraged  at  this  awkward  chance,  that  he  would 
have  immediately  caused  the  man  who  lit  the  fire 
to  be  hanged,  if  the  Emperor  had  not  interposed  to 
prevent  it." 

This  is  the  story  as  told  by  Vandenesse,  but  know- 
ing the  treacherous  character  of  Fran9ois,  we  could 
not  wonder  if  doubts  had  arisen.  In  any  case, 
Charles  was  safe.  We  hear  of  hunting-parties  near 
Chambourg,  of  a  visit  to  Fontainebleau,  and  of  a 
trip  by  water  to  the  Bois  de  Vincennes.  On  New 
Year's  Day,  the  "  distinguished  assembly "  reached 
Paris.  The  Emperor,  as  usual,  paid  his  first  visit  to 
the  Cathedral  of  Notre  Dame,  and  then  proceeded 
to  the  royal  palace,  where  the  time  was  spent  in 
festivities  until  the  "  Fete  des  Rois."  On  January  15, 
1540,  the  Emperor  set  forward  on  his  journey,  and 
the  French  Court  accompanied  him  to  St.  Quentin, 
where  Charles  took  leave  of  the  King  and  Queen, 
while  the  Dauphin  and  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  with 
their  suite,  rode  with  him  as  far  as  Valenciennes, 
where  the  whole  party  was  received  and  entertained 
by  the  Regent,  Queen  Marie  of  Hungary,  who  had 
with  her  Christina,  the  widowed  Duchess  of  Milan. 
The  French  princes  and  gentlemen  were  feasted  until 
the  24th,  when  they  took  their  leave  and  returned 
to  Cambray. 

Evidently  Marie  of  Hungary  was  following  in  the 


CHARLES  RETURNS  TO  SPAIN        171 

footsteps  of  her  Aunt  Marguerite,  not  only  in  the 
arduous  and  difficult  task  of  governing  the  Nether- 
lands, but  also  in  taking  the  place  of  a  mother  to  her 
niece  Christina.  Her  father,  the  deposed  King  of 
Denmark,  Christian  II,  was  still  in  the  dungeon  of 
Sonderborg,  after  a  stormy  and  erratic  career.  He 
had  played  fast  and  loose  with  the  Reformation; 
he  had  encouraged  Lutheran  doctrines  in  Denmark, 
he  became  embroiled  in  hopeless  contests  in  Sweden, 
his  people  forsook  their  allegiance,  and,  as  we  have 
already  seen,  he  lost  heart  and  fled  from  his  capital, 
embarking  for  Flanders  with  his  young  wife,  Isabelle 
of  Austria,  the  sister  of  Charles.  They  took  with 
them  the  three  young  children — Jean,  Dorothea,  and 
Christina,  who  after  the  death  of  their  mother  were 
adopted  by  Marguerite,  her  devoted  aunt.  Jean 
died  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  Dorothea  was  married 
to  Frederick  II,  Elector  Palatine,  who  vainly  sought 
help  to  assert  his  wife's  claim  to  the  crown  of  Den- 
mark. Christina  had  married  Francesco  Sforza, 
Duke  of  Milan,  and  was  now  a  widow. 

Christian  II  had  continued  in  vain  to  dispute 
the  throne  of  Denmark  with  his  successor  Frederick. 
He  wore  out  all  his  friends  with  his  appeals ;  he  in- 
voked his  powerful  brother-in-law  the  Emperor, 
without  much  success ;  and  at  last,  late  in  the  year 
1529,  he  decided  to  give  up  his  reformed  doctrines, 
which  had  been  of  so  httle  service  to  him,  and  he 
was  formally  received  into  the  Roman  communion. 
This  was  three  years  after  his  wife's  death,  in  poverty 
and  exile,  and  after  that  Christian  became  more 
reckless.    In  1531    he  made  a  despairing   attempt 


172  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

to  appeal  to  Frederick  of  Denmark,  and  trusted 
himself,  on  the  strength  of  a  safe-conduct,  into  the 
hands  of  his  uncle's  commander,  Knud  Gyldenst- 
jerne.  The  result  was  his  imprisonment  at  Sonder- 
borg,  where  he  remained  for  seventeen  years,  and 
only  left  one  captivity  for  another  less  severe,  which 
lasted  till  his  death  in  1559.  Such  was  the  tragic 
fate  of  Isabelle's  husband. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

REBELLION  OP  GHENT — TROUBLES  IN  GERMANY 

The  rebellion  of  the  men  of  Ghent — Their  treacherous  offer  to 
France — They  yield  to  the  personal  authority  of  Charles  V,  who 
exacts  punishment  and  deprives  the  city  of  its  special  privileges 
— Fresh  trouble  with  the  new  Lord  of  Guelders — Powerful  Protes- 
tant League  of  Schmalkalden — Steady  progress  of  the  Reforma- 
tion in  Germany — Revolt  of  Liibeok  and  Peace  of  Hamburg. 

The  rebellion  of  Ghent  was  of  quite  sufficient  import- 
ance to  demand  the  presence  of  the  Emperor  him- 
self. The  Regent,  Queen  rlarie  of  Hungary,  had 
endured  a  long  period  of  anxiety,  during  which  she 
had  acted  with  promptness  and  decision.  The 
trouble  had  begun  as  far  back  as  the  invasion  of 
Artois  by  the  French,  in  1537,  when  the  Regent  had 
appHed  to  the  States-General  of  the  Netherlands  for 
a  large  subsidy,  enough  to  pay  the  expenses  of  an 
army  of  30,000  men  for  six  months.  Marie  felt  the 
importance  of  this  grant  so  much  that  she  was 
present  at  the  meeting,  with  all  the  chief  nobles  of 
the  land.  Brabant  was  the  first  to  agree  to  the 
vote,  and  the  other  provinces  did  the  same,  but  the 
deputies  of  Flanders  asked  for  delay  to  appeal  to 
the  constituencies.  Finally  three  of  the  divisions — 
Bruges,  Ypres,  and  le  Franc — agreed  to  pay  their 
share,  but  the  burghers  of  Ghent  refused  to  tax 
themselves,  although  the  Regent  declared  that  the 

173 


174  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

grant  of  three  quarters  out  of  four  was  binding 
upon  the  fourth.  She  insisted  that  law  and  reason 
were  both  on  her  side,  as  the  money  was  absolutely 
necessary  for  the  defence  of  the  country,  and  she 
pointed  out  that  the  vote  of  a  majority  was  always 
binding  upon  the  rest  of  the  States,  according  to 
rule  and  custom  and  every  precedent. 

Ghent  always  claimed  special  privileges,  and 
declared  that  she  was  liable  to  no  taxation  which 
had  not  received  her  special  assent  through  her  own 
deputies.  Of  course  if  tliis  were  granted,  it  would 
make  combined  action  impossible,  and  no  sovereign 
could  be  expected  to  permit  it.  The  municipal 
constitution  of  Ghent  consisted  of  the  Patricians,  or 
men  of  property,  the  seventeen  wards  of  the  Guild 
of  the  Weavers,  and  fifty-two  Lesser  Guilds.  The 
chief  resistance  to  the  tax  appears  to  have  come 
from  the  Patricians,  for  tlie  other  citizens,  although 
they  voted  against  the  subsidy,  suggested  that  they 
would  send  their  town  mihtia  to  join  the  army,  and 
would  pay  for  its  support. 

The  Regent  indignantly  rephed  that  an  untrained 
mihtia  would  be  of  no  value  to  oppose  regular  troops, 
but  at  length  she  was  wilhng  to  accept  half  the  tax. 
This  was  at  once  refused,  and  Marie,  with  a  high 
hand,  caused  any  men  of  Ghent  who  were  in  Antwerp 
or  Brussels  to  be  arrested,  on  the  ground  that  indi- 
viduals were  responsible  for  the  debt  of  their  city. 
She  also  ordered  that  the  districts  outside  Ghent 
should  pay  their  share  of  the  levy.  The  city  of 
Ghent  appealed  to  the  Emperor  in  Spain,  but  he 
sent  back  the  envoys  to  make  their  appHcation  before 


REBELLION  OF  GHENT  175 

the  High  Court  of  MaHnes,  the  supreme  judicial 
Council  of  the  Netherlands.  This  was  unwise  on 
the  part  of  Charles,  as  it  made  the  grievance  more 
definite,  for  they  knew,  as  well  as  he  did,  that  the 
cause  would  be  decided  against  them.  He  might 
at  least  have  listened  to  their  remonstrances  himself, 
although  it  was  of  course  quite  impossible  that  he 
should  grant  the  privilege  of  not  being  Uable  to 
taxation,  when  all  the  other  provinces  had  consented 
to  pay.  Such  a  concession  would  at  once  put  an 
end  to  any  joint  action  in  pohtics,  and  would  destroy 
all  authority. 

The  result  was  that  when  the  Court  of  Mahnes 
had  condemned  the  men  of  Ghent  to  pay,  they 
openly  rebelled,  cast  all  scruples  to  the  winds,  and 
placed  their  city  in  a  state  of  defence.  But  they 
went  farther  than  this  ;  they  committed  an  act  of 
treachery  by  applying  to  the  King  of  France,  and 
promising  that  if  he  would  join  them  against  the 
Emperor,  they  would  help  hun  to  recover  Artois  and 
Picardy,  the  French  provinces  which  Charles  still 
held.  Ghent  had  already  drawn  the  subject-cities 
of  Alost,  Oudenarde,  and  Courtrai  into  the  rising, 
and  was  in  open  rebelUon.  Perhaps  Fran5ois  had 
not  enough  confidence  in  the  power  of  the  rebels, 
or  he  may  have  hoped  to  get  more  by  intrigue  from 
Charles ;  in  any  case,  he  not  only  refused  the  offer 
of  the  men  of  Ghent,  but  informed  the  Flemish 
Government  of  their  treason. 

The  revolution  had  begun  on  the  question  of 
electing  the  new  masters  of  the  Guilds.  The  lower 
bodies  of  the  citizens  refused  to  give  the  usual  list 


176  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

of  three  candidates,  and  insisted  upon  the  punish- 
ment of  the  late  aldermen  for  not  having  carried  out 
the  decrees  of  their  town  council. 

They  seized  the  gates,  and,  having  got  the  upper 
hand,  began  an  era  of  mob-law  and  pillage.  The 
government  of  the  town  weakly  yielded  to  the  vio- 
lence of  the  democratic  party,  and  consented  to 
build  new  fortifications  and  organize  the  men  into 
companies  under  captains  who  had  fought  in  past 
days  of  revolt.  The  Regent  Marie  made  a  last 
attempt  to  win  over  the  rebels  ;  she  sent  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  High  Court  of  Mahnes,  an  important 
official,  to  try  to  negotiate  with  those  in  authority. 
But  the  men  of  Ghent  seized  the  ambassadors  and 
threatened  them  with  death  unless  the  demands  of 
the  city  were  granted.  The  Queen  was  absolutely 
constrained  to  yield  to  the  demand  that  the  alder- 
men should  be  deposed,  and  that  in  future  the 
magistrates  should  take  an  oath  dictated  by  the 
people.  However,  under  her  seal  of  office,  she 
wrote  the  words  :  "  Par  force  et  pour  eviter  plus 
grand  mal  ay  consenty  a  cette  commission. — ^Marie.'* 

The  citizens  of  Ghent  now  had  the  insolence  to 
command  the  other  cities  of  Flanders  to  admit  no 
troops  under  imperial  orders ;  they  insisted  that 
the  Regent  should  recall  every  soldier  from  the 
dominions  of  Ghent,  and  that  she  should  surrender 
all  citizens  who  had  fled  to  her  for  refuge.  Can  we 
wonder  that  Marie  wrote  urgent  letters  to  her  brother, 
that  "it  was  a  question  of  being  master  or  varlet/' 
and  that  his  presence  in  the  Netherlands  was  an 
absolute  necessity  ? 


REBELLION  OF  GHENT  177 

Charles  was  now  thoroughly  roused,  and  he  sent 
the  Count  de  Roeulx  to  announce  his  coming.  But 
on  his  arrival,  the  envoy's  hfe  was  in  danger,  for 
by  this  time  the  worst  passions  of  the  democrats 
had  been  awakened,  and  it  was  reported  that  a  day 
had  been  fixed  for  pillaging  the  wealthy  citizens, 
the  churches,  and  the  monasteries. 

As  we  have  seen  in  the  last  chapter,  Charles 
reached  Valenciennes  on  January  21,  1540.  A 
deputation  from  Ghent  awaited  him,  but  received 
no  words  of  encouragement,  only  heard  stern  truths, 
and  sadly  returned  with  the  grim  message  that  he 
meant  to  make  an  example  of  the  rebelhous  city. 
Now  thoroughly  alarmed,  the  noisy  democrats  of 
Ghent  made  no  attempt  at  resistance  ;  they  simply 
waited  in  fear  and  trembhng  for  the  blow  to  fall. 
The  rebellion  had  been  quelled  at  once  by  the  news 
of  the  Emperor's  coming  with  strong  n  ihtary  forces ; 
3,000  German  landsknechte,  and  the  cavalry  of  the 
Netherlands  led  by  the  flower  of  their  nobihty.  The 
great  legal  authorities  of  the  States,  the  Privy 
Council,  and  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Fleece  were 
all  summoned  to  consider  the  legal  aspect  of  the  case. 
Most  imposing  of  all,  the  Emperor  arrived  in  state, 
on  February  14,  with  all  the  pageant  of  a  splendid 
Court ;  the  Regent  Queen  Marie,  his  sister.  King 
Ferdinand  his  brother,  the  Duchess  of  Milan,  and  a 
noble  company  of  princes,  ambassadors,  and  bishops. 

The  solemn  trial  of  the  city  took  place  before  all 

these  witnesses  ;    every  act  of  rebelhon  and  violence 

was  brought  forward,  and  all  the  leaders  who  had 

taken  part  in  them  were  tried  for  their  Hves.     The 

12 


178  A  GREAT  EIVIPEROR 

course  of  justice  was  slow  and  sure,  for  it  was  not 
until  April  21  that  Charles  gave  sentence,  sitting 
on  his  throne  of  state,  with  the  great  doors  of  the 
Palace  of  Justice  thrown  mde  open  that  all  might 
hear.  Nine  of  the  ringleaders  were  condemned  to 
be  executed  on  the  spot  where  the  unfortunate 
magistrate  had  been  put  to  death.  Ghent  was 
pronounced  guilty  of  disobedience,  sedition,  rebelhon, 
and  high  treason.  Her  constitution  with  all  her 
rights  and  privileges  was  forfeited,  and  she  was  to 
lose  her  control  of  the  surrounding  territory  and  the 
subject  towns.  A  fortress  was  to  be  built  at  the 
city's  expense  to  prevent  rebelhon  in  the  future.  The 
disputed  subsidy  was  to  be  paid  and  a  large  fine  in 
addition. 

On  a  certain  day  and  hour,  solemn  submission 
and  humihation  were  required.  Thirty  of  the  chief 
burgesses  must  come  before  the  Emperor,  bare- 
headed, in  mourning  costume,  with  cords  round 
their  necks,  followed  by  about  150  other  members 
of  guilds  in  Hke  attire,  to  pray  for  mercy  from  the 
Emperor  and  the  Regent.  This  act  of  humihation 
was  carried  out  on  May  3,  and  in  consideration  that 
Ghent  was  the  city  of  his  birth,  and  had  always  been 
very  dear  to  him,  Charles  consented  to  grant  for- 
giveness to  the  supphants. 

The  punishment  of  the  rebelhous  city  was  severe, 
but  we  can  scarcely  call  it  revengeful,  when  we 
consider  how  a  Valois  or  a  Tudor  would  have  treated 
such  dehberate  treason  and  treachery  as  the  men 
of  Ghent  had  been  guilty  of.  There  had  been  real 
danger  if  the  King  of  France  had  thought  it  wise 


REBELLION  OF  GHENT  179 

policy  to  seize  his  opportunity.  As  it  happened, 
this  unsuccessful  insurrection  gave  Charles  the  oppor- 
tunity of  destroying  local  privileges  which  stood  in 
the  way  of  common  defence  against  the  Turk  or 
other  foes  of  the  Empire.  On  this  occasion  the 
Emperor  had  availed  himself  of  his  opportunity, 
without  doubt  or  hesitation,  and  from  this  time 
forth  the  Netherlands  were  more  easy  to  rule.  It 
was  a  fortunate  addition  to  his  prestige  at  this  time, 
for  the  difficulties  which  so  long  continued  with  the 
indomitable  Charles  of  Guelders  seemed  to  have 
become  more  serious  in  Guelders  since  his  death  in 
1538.  The  Estates  of  the  Duchy  had  at  once  elected 
Wilham  de  la  Marck,  the  eldest  son  of  John,  Duke  of 
Cleves,  who  died  the  followang  year,  leaving  Wilham 
the  lord  of  four  duchies — Cleves,  Berg,  Juhch,  and 
Guelders.  His  sister,  Anne  of  Cleves,  had  been 
married  to  Henry  VIII  late  in  1539  and  was  divorced 
the  next  year. 

The  new  Duke  of  Cleves,  with  his  Protestant 
tendencies,  was  a  dangerous  neighbour  in  Guelders 
for  Charles  ;  and  he  became  more  threatening  when 
Fran§ois  I  betrothed  to  him  the  child  Jeanne  d'Albret 
in  July  1540. 

The  project  which  Charles  had  so  carefully  ex- 
plained to  his  son  Phihp,  of  settling  afl'airs  with 
France  by  one  of  several  alternative  schemes  of 
marriage,  had  not  come  to  pass,  for  the  question  had 
been  decided  by  the  refusal  of  Frangois  to  make  any 
compromise.  Charles  had  meant  his  son  Philip  to 
marry  Jeanne  and  thus  settle  the  question  of  Navarre, 
and  the  French  King  showed  his  hostiUty  by  inter-  • 


180  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

vening  to  bestow  her  upon  the  Duke  of  Cleves. 
Charles  retahated  by  investing  Philip  with  the  Duchy 
of  Milan,  in  October  1540,  while  he  leffc  the  matter 
of  alliances  to  be  settled  later  as  circumstances 
might  permit.  In  the  private  Memoirs  of  Charles 
we  see  how  very  strongly  he  felt  about  the  constant 
strife  mth  Guelders,  and  how  earnestly  he  had 
hoped  that  the  death  of  the  rebelHous  Duke  would 
enable  him  to  assert  his  authority  in  the  election  of 
a  new  governor.  Now  the  question  seemed  more 
involved  than  ever,  but  the  Emperor  expresses  his 
conviction  that  he  will  be  able  to  obtain  redress  at 
the  coming  Diet  of  Ratisbon,  where  he  had  summoned 
the  Estates  to  meet  him. 

Nine  years  had  passed  since  he  had  last  been 
face  to  face  with  his  German  nobles  and  delegates, 
and  meanwliile  great  changes  had  taken  place. 
In  1534  Wiirttemberg  had  been  regained  by  the 
Protestant  Duke  Ukich,  and  Ferdinand,  King  of 
the  Romans,  had  been  compelled  to  acknowledge  his 
defeat,  only  reserving  the  provision  that  the  duchy 
was  to  be  held  as  a  fief  of  Austria.  Everywhere  the 
Lutherans  had  made  steady  progress,  and  their  gain 
in  Wiirttemberg  was  said  to  have  done  more  for 
them  ''than  Luther  could  do  by  a  thousand  books/' 
The  wild  pretensions  of  the  Anabaptist  revolt  in 
Miinster  alarmed  both  the  Cathohc  and  Protestant 
authorities,  and  it  was  ultimately  put  down  with 
violence  and  bloodshed  on  both  sides.  The  spirit 
of  unrest  had  spread  to  the  Netherlands,  Marie  of 
Hungary  having  to  suppress  a  fanatical  revolt  in 
Friesland,   for   the  Anabaptists   were   dispersed  in 


REBELLION  OF  GHENT  181 

many  lands,  even  extending  their  influence  to  England 
and  America. 

The  next  revolution  which  disturbed  Germany 
during  those  eventful  ten  years  of  the  Emperor's 
absence  was  the  attempt  of  democracy  in  the  great 
trading  cities  to  command  the  shores  of  the  Baltic. 
Liibeck  was  the  centre  of  this  movement,  and  the 
working  classes  were  led  by  the  demagogue  Wullen- 
wever,  a  man  of  great  energy  and  strength  of  char- 
acter. His  first  attacks  having  proved  successful 
in  expelhng  many  patrician  famihes,  he  next  turned 
to  using  his  influence  over  the  mob,  for  reviving 
the  sea-power  of  Liibeck,  which,  with  other  Baltic 
cities  of  the  Hanseatic  League,  had  lost  its  prosperity 
through  competition  with  Denmark,  and  in  a  lesser 
degree  with  Antwerp  and  Bruges.  He  saw  his 
opportunity  in  the  democracy  of  the  peasants  and 
artisans  of  Demnark ;  and  Henry  VIII,  in  far-off 
England,  was  persuaded  to  join  the  Liibeck  rebellion 
against  Rome  and  the  Hapsburgs,  and  he  actually 
sent  ships  towards  Copenhagen.  But  when  the 
fortune  of  w^ar  turned  against  Wullenwever,  he  ac- 
tually had  the  audacity  to  turn  for  help  to  Charles  V, 
who  was  supporting  the  claim  of  his  niece  Dorothea 
and  her  husband  Frederick,  Count  Palatine,  to  the 
throne  of  Denmark. 

But  the  end  was  at  hand ;  the  Hanseatic  Diet 
declared  against  Liibeck,  and  by  the  Peace  of  Ham- 
burg in  1536  Christian  III  was  recognized  as  King 
of  Denmark,  Liibeck  had  her  ancient  privileges 
restored,  and  Protestantism  reigned  supreme  in  this 
year.     The  Emperor  at  a  distance  had  taken  Httle 


182  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

part  in  this  conflict,  but  he  watched  its  course  with 
interest  and  anxiety,  as  it  so  deeply  concerned  the 
trade  interests  of  the  Netherlands,  whose  loyalty 
depended  much  upon  their  prosperity.  Charles  had 
always  felt  the  importance  of  Denmark  ;  indeed  that 
was  the  reason  why  he  had  been  wilhng  to  arrange 
the  unfortunate  marriage  of  his  sister  Isabelle  with 
the  ill-conditioned  Christian  II.  Fortunately  for  the 
prospects  of  peace,  the  present  King,  Christian  III, 
desired  nothing  better  than  to  be  left  alone,  and  in 
this  he  was  entirely  of  one  mind  mth  the  Emperor. 

One  of  the  greatest  obstacles  the  orthodox  party 
had  to  contend  with  was  the  powerful  League  of 
Schmalkalden,  formed  in  1530  by  the  Protestant 
Princes  and  burghers  for  self-defence  in  the  law- 
tribunals.  The  original  members  were  the  Elector 
of  Saxony,  the  Landgrave  of  Hesse,  the  Brunswick- 
Liineburg  Dukes,  Prince  Wolfgang  of  Anhalt,  the 
two  Counts  of  Mansfeld,  and  the  cities  of  Magdeburg 
and  Bremen.  Other  cities  joined  the  League  later, 
amongst  them  were  Gottingen,  Goslar,  and  Einbeck. 
In  December  1535  the  League  undertook  to  admit 
all  who  would  subscribe  to  the  Confession  of  Augs- 
burg, and  received  the  cities  of  Augsburg,  Frankfort, 
Hanover,  and  Kempten  under  its  protection,  refusing 
to  acknowledge  the  authority  of  the  Reichkammer- 
gericht  or  Imperial  Chamber. 

The  Lutherans  increased  in  power  on  every  side. 
Even  in  the  States  which  called  themselves  orthodox 
there  was  a  strange  state  of  things.  In  Catholic 
monasteries  there  were  scarcely  any  monks  to  be 
found ;    thus  in  the  splendid  abbeys  of  Regensburg 


REBELLION  OF  GHENT  183 

there  were  only  one  or  two  brethren,  and  often  only 
about  twenty  people  present  at  mass  in  the  beautiful 
cathedral.  There  were  so  few  candidates  for  the 
priesthood  that  the  Bishop  of  Laibach  only  ordained 
seventeen  priests  in  eight  years,  and  at  Passau 
there  were  only  five  ordained  in  four  years.  At 
Niiremberg,  a  loyal  city  which  called  itself  Cathohc, 
the  town  council  altered  the  mass,  put  an  end  to 
festivals,  allowed  marriage  of  the  clergy  and  the 
sacramental  cup  to  the  laity. 

King  Ferdinand  himself  advocated  these  latter 
changes,  and  he  complained  to  the  Pope's  Nuncio 
that  he  could  not  find  a  confessor  who  was  not  of 
evil  hfe,  a  drunkard,  or  an  ignoramus.  The  spirit 
of  reform  was  in  the  air,  and  even  Rome  was  affected 
by  it,  for  Paul  III  had  begun  his  rule  by  creating  a 
group  of  reforming  Cardinals,  and  he  sent  Vergerio 
to  Germany  to  see  if  it  would  be  possible  to  come  to 
terms  with  the  Lutherans. 

At  last  it  was  suggested  that  a  Cathohc  League 
should  be  formed  in  imitation  of  that  of  the  Lutherans, 
and  on  June  10,  1538,  the  League  of  Nuremberg 
was  started,  and  its  members  were  the  Emperor, 
King  Ferdinand,  the  Archbishops  of  Salzburg  and 
Mainz,  and  the  Dukes  of  Bavaria,  Eric  and  Henry 
of  Brunswick  and  George  of  Saxony.  This  last, 
Duke  George,  takes  a  very  high  place  amongst  the 
noblest  men  of  his  time.  An  earnest  Cathohc,  he 
yet  felt  keenly  the  need  for  reform,  and  he  never 
feared  to  speak  his  mind  boldly  and  frankly,  both 
to  Protestant  and  Papist.  His  loyal  devotion  to 
the  House  of  Hapsburg  was  hereditary,  for  in  time 


184  A  GREAT  EMPEEOE 

of  conflict  his  father  had  pointed  to  his  Order  of 
the  Golden  Fleece,  and  declared :  "  This  do  I  cherish 
in  my  heart  and  wear  ever  on  my  breast/'  Unfor- 
tunately for  his  cause,  the  gallant  Duke  George  of 
Saxony  died  in  April  1539,  after  one  last  appeal  for 
peace  at  the  Colloquy  of  Frankfurt. 

His  successor  joined  the  Protestant  League,  which 
had  been  strengthened  by  the  support  of  the  Margrave 
John  of  Brandenburg,  and  that  of  the  towns  of 
Ratisbon  and  Heidelberg.  Still  more  important  was 
the  new  convert  Wilham  of  Cleves,  already  chosen 
Duke  of  Guelders,  who  in  1539  succeeded  to  his 
father's  estates,  and  was  now  a  far  more  formidable 
enemy  to  the  Emperor  than  Charles  of  Guelders 
had  ever  been. 

It  so  happened  that  a  discreditable  incident  of  this 
period  brought  a  fresh  ally  into  the  Cathohc  side. 
The  bigamy  of  Phihp  of  Hesse — which  he  declared 
was  a  compromise  arrived  at  \vith  the  assent  of  the 
chief  Protestant  divines — caused  such  a  scandal  that 
the  Landgrave  quailed  before  it,  and  sought  to  make 
terms  with  Charles  V,  and  to  return  to  the  orthodox 
faith  in  order  to  obtain  a  dispensation  from  the 
Pope,  and  so  set  his  scruples  at  rest  for  ever.  Philip 
ultimately  concluded  his  bargain,  gave  up  his  alhance 
with  England,  France,  and  Cleves,  and  promised  to 
take  the  side  of  the  Emperor  on  all  pohtical  questions. 


CHAPTER  XV 

DIET  OF  RATISBON — ^SECOND  EXPEDITION  TO  ALGIERS 

Diet  of  Ratisbon  convoked  by  Charles  V,  "to  find  a  remedy  for 
religious  troubles " — Contarini  sent  as  Legate,  by  request  of 
Charles — The  Emperor  passes  through  Italy  and  leads  the  ex- 
pedition against  Algiers — Delay  of  the  fleets  in  starting ;  violent 
storms  and  strong  resistance  of  the  Turks  result  in  defeat — 
Courage  and  spirit  of  Charles— The  Turks  raid  the  Mediterranean 
coast,  and  Christian  slaves  are  sold  at  Marseilles — Peace  of  Crepy, 
between  Spain  and  Franco,  1544. 

On  February  23, 1541,  Charles  V  arrived  at  Ratisbon, 
where  he  '*  had  convoked  a  Diet  in  order  to  find  a 
remedy  for  religious  troubles,  and  to  estabhsh  con- 
cord/" He  had  taken  leave  of  his  sister  Marie  of 
Hungary  at  Luxemburg  early  in  January,  and  had 
travelled  through  Metz,  Neustadt,  and  Speyer,  where 
his  minister  de  Granvelle  joined  him,  having  returned 
from  the  Conference  at  Worms,  where  there  had 
already  been  prehminary  discussions  between  the 
Cathohcs  and  the  Protestants,  but  without  arriving 
at  any  decision.  Morone  had  been  the  Papal  Legate 
at  Worms,  but  the  Emperor  had  specially  requested 
that  Cardinal  Contarini  should  take  his  place  at 
the  Diet  of  Ratisbon. 

Gaspero  Contarini  was  a  man  of  great  learning  and 
wide  study,  not  only  in  theology,  but  in  every  branch 

185 


186  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

of  philosophy.  He  had  been  one  of  the  members 
of  that  most  interesting  society  called  the  "  Oratory 
of  Divine  Love/'  which  had  been  formed  in  Rome, 
1523,  on  the  principle  that  the  reform  of  the  Church 
must  be  built  upon  the  rehgious  reform  of  the  indi- 
vidual. Full  of  zeal  and  devotion,  the  members 
pledged  themselves  to  devote  more  time  to  private 
and  pubUc  prayer,  and  by  rehgious  reading  and 
meditation  to  do  all  in  their  power  to  deepen  and 
spirituahze  the  foundation  of  Christian  life.  After 
the  sack  of  Rome  in  1527,  Contarini  and  others  had 
formed  a  community  of  the  same  kind  in  Venice,  of 
which  city  he  was  a  native.  Contarini  had  also 
helped  later  in  drawing  up  the  famous  "  Consihum 
de  emendanda  Ecclesia."  Gaspero  had  long  been 
an  intimate  friend  of  the  Emperor's,  for  as  early  as 
1521  he  had  been  sent  by  the  Repubhc  as  ambassador 
to  Charles  at  Worms,  and  had  become  so  great  a 
favourite  that  he  was  taken  to  the  siege  of  Tournay 
in  the  Imperial  suite,  and  from  thence  to  England 
and  on  to  Spain. 

After  the  sack  of  Rome,  he  was  sent  on  an  embassy 
from  Venice  to  Clement  VII,  and  was  able  to  serve 
his  country  not  only  with  the  Pope,  but  later  with 
the  Emperor  at  Bologna.  Again,  in  1538,  Contarini 
accompanied  Paul  HI  to  Nice  to  meet  Charles  V, 
80  that  when  he  came  to  the  Diet  of  Ratisbon  as 
Legate,  he  was  warmly  welcomed  as  an  old  friend 
both  by  Charles  and  his  brother  Ferdinand.  No  one 
could  have  been  better  suited  than  this  Cardinal  to 
bring  the  momentous  discussions  between  the  different 
religious  sides  to  a  satisfactory  end,  for  indeed  at 


DIET  OF  RATISBON  187 

this  moment  there  seemed  more  hope  of  agreement 
than  ever  before,  as  earnest  men  on  both  sides  felt 
that  the  peace  of  Europe  hung  upon  their  decision. 

The  Diet  opened  on  April  5,  when  there  was  a 
solemn  service  in  the  cathedral,  attended  by  the 
Emperor,  the  States,  and  the  Court ;  from  there 
they  went  to  the  Council-House,  where  the  Count 
Palatine  Frederick  and  de  Granvelle  presided,  both 
anxious  for  peace.  The  three  Cathohc  divines  chosen 
were  Johann  Eck  of  Ingolstadt,  fierce  in  argument ; 
JuUus  von  Piiug,  Bishop  of  Namnburg  ;  and  Johann 
Gropper,  these  two  last  holding  very  moderate  views  ; 
while  on  the  Protestant  side  were  Melanchthon  and  the 
Hessian  ministers  Martin  Bucer,  who  had  drawn  up 
a  most  attractive  scheme  of  agreement,  and  Pistorius. 
The  conference  lasted  nearly  a  month,  and  the  com- 
mittee agreed  on  several  points,  such  as  the  marriage 
of  priests,  and  the  use  of  the  cup  for  laymen,  while 
some  sort  of  understanding  was  reached  on  the 
difficult  subject  of  "justification."  On  this  vexed 
question,  Contarini  wrote  a  tract  while  at  the  con- 
ference, in  which  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
doctrine  of  **  justification  by  faith  "  was  the  founda- 
tion of  the  Christian  rehgion.  There  was  in  the 
discussion  a  constant  difficulty  about  the  expression 
*'  by  faith  alone."  Faith  must  be  Hving  and  active, 
and  justification  must  depend  both  on  inherent  and 
imputed  righteousness.  In  point  of  fact  no  real 
agreement  was  effected,  for  each  side  had  a  different 
meaning  for  the  words.  Before  the  end  of  the  Con- 
ference, even  Contarini  despaired  of  concihation,  but 
for  this  failure  neither  side  can  be  blamed,  for  the 


188  A  GKEAT  EMPEROR 

differences  were  too  great  to  make  it  possible  for  a 
combined  religion  between  the  Papists  and  the 
Protestants. 

In  point  of  fact  the  opposition  of  both  parties  was 
as  much  poHtical  as  reHgious.  As  Contarini  shrewdly 
said:  "There  is  scarcely  a  man,  or  very  few,  who 
serve  God  with  honest  heart."  He  beheved  that 
personal  aggrandizement  and  ambition  were  the 
main  motives  even  of  the  Cathohc  princes.  They 
feared  that  reunion  would  increase  the  Imperial 
power,  and  it  was  certainly  for  this  very  reason  that 
Charles  desired  it,  as  thus  common  action  against 
the  enemies  of  Christendom  would  be  possible.  The 
failure  of  the  Conference  was  a  great  disappointment 
to  the  Emperor,  and  he  even  went  so  far  as  to  cause 
the  toleration  proposal  to  be  submitted  to  Luther 
by  friendly  princes.  This  was  answered  by  the 
demand  that  all  the  points  "  should  be  purely  and 
clearly  preached,"  which  broadly  hinted  at  the 
simple  fact  that  the  words  were  capable  of  two  mean- 
ings. 

In  his  Memoirs  the  Emperor  remarks  about  this 
Diet  of  Ratisbon,  that — 

"After  many  controversies,  very  few  things  had 
been  decided  upon,  and  still  fewer  had  been  executed. 
Moreover,  although  the  report  had  spread  that  the 
Turk  was  preparing  to  invade  Austria,  no  measure 
had  been  taken  to  oppose  that  invasion.  .  .  .  The 
Emperor  had  already  made  great  preparation  and 
maritime  provision  to  undertake,  on  his  return  to 
Spain,  an  expedition  against  Algiers." 


DIET  OF  RATISBON  189 

Charles  therefore  left  Ratisbon,  and  went  to  Italy, 
meeting  the  Pope  at  Lucca,  to  discuss  means  for 
opposing  the  Turks,  but  there  was  no  result.  He 
went  on  to  Spezia  and  waited  there  for  the  fleets 
to  join  him  ;  and  although  he  knew  that  it  was  already 
very  late  in  the  year  for  the  expedition,  he  felt  that 
he  could  not  put  it  off,  after  all  the  expense  which 
had  been  incurred,  the  money  having  been  especially 
voted  for  this  purpose  by  Spain,  where  the  greatest 
anxiety  was  felt  at  the  successful  raids  of  the  corsairs. 

It  was  already  the  middle  of  October  before  Charles 
was  able  to  start  from  Spezia,  with  Andrea  Doria 
in  command  of  the  fleet  of  Genoa,  while  the  Spanish 
galleys  had  been  collected  at  Majorca  and  sailed  on 
to  meet  the  Emperor  on  the  African  coast,  to  the 
west  of  Algiers.  Stormy  weather  prevented  the 
fleets  meeting  until  October  23,  when  about  20,000 
infantry  were  landed  some  miles  from  the  city,  but 
were  only  provided  with  supphes  for  three  days. 
The  next  day  the  Spanish  and  German  troops,  with 
the  Emperor  at  their  head,  took  possession  of  the 
high  ground  south  of  Algiers,  but  during  the  night 
a  terrible  storm  came  on  with  heavy  rain,  in  which 
the  tents  were  blown  down,  while  the  arquebuses 
and  ammunition  were  soaked  through.  To  make 
matters  worse,  the  garrison  of  Algiers  chose  this 
terrible  moment  for  a  sortie  in  which  the  Itahans 
who  were  guarding  the  shore  suffered  severely. 
The  heavy  tempest  drove  a  hundred  ships  and 
fourteen  galleys  ashore,  and  Doria  was  compelled 
to  retreat.  With  his  shattered  fleet,  he  sought  the 
shelter  of  Cape  Metafuz,  and  meantime  the  whole 


190  A  GREAT  EiAIPEROR 

Spanish  force  had  been  compelled  to  move  down 
from  the  higher  ground. 

Under  the  guidance  of  Charles  himself,  this  move 
had  been  successfully  accomphshed,  and  the  army 
had  encamped  on  the  sloping  ground.  We  have  a 
vivid  account  of  this  dangerous  adventure  in  the 
Itinerary  of  the  secretary  Vandenesse,  in  which  the 
splendid  personal  courage  and  resource  of  his  master 
are  taken  as  a  matter  of  course. 

**A  terrible  storm  was  renewed,  both  by  sea  and 
land,  and  the  Emperor  moved  nearer  the  shore,  in 
order  to  obtain  provisions  and  ammunition  from 
the  ships.  But  this  proved  impossible,  and  His 
Majesty  marched  onwards  with  the  army  through  a 
swampy  country,  where  he  had  a  broad  river  to  pass, 
and  was  annoyed  the  whole  time  by  the  Arabs,  both 
on  his  flank  and  rear.  .  .  .  He  afterwards  reached 
Metafuz,  where  the  galleys  which  had  escaped  from 
the  storm  were  at  anchor.'* 

It  is  interesting  to  know  that  Hernando  Cortes, 
the  conqueror  of  Mexico,  had  joined  this  expedition 
from  Spain.  He  is  said  to  have  strongly  urged  a 
counter-attack  on  Algiers  with  Spanish  and  German 
troops.  But  this  was  found  to  be  impossible  in  the 
exhausted  state  of  the  troops,  who  had  lost  all  their 
suppHes  and  most  of  the  artillery.  On  November  4 
the  Emperor  reached  the  harbour  of  his  town  of  Bugia, 
from  which  the  Imperial  galleys  made  desperate 
attempts  to  leave  the  harbour,  but  were  forced  by 
violent  storms  and  contrary  winds  to  turn  back. 


DIET  OF  RATISBON  191 

It  was  not  until  November  23  that  Charles  at  last 
got  off,  and  landed  at  Majorca  on  the  evening  of  the 
26th,  and  at  length  reached  Carthagena  in  December. 
His  son  Philip  and  his  daughters  hurried  to  welcome 
him,  for  they  had  been  alarmed  by  the  rumour  that 
his  galley  had  been  lost  at  sea.  He  appears  to  have 
had  indeed  a  very  narrow  escape.  In  writing  to  his 
sister  Marie,  Charles  attributes  the  disaster  of  this 
enterprise  largely  to  the  delay  of  his  fleets  in  starting. 
He  certainly  had  severe  material  losses,  but  his 
wonderful  spirit  and  calm  courage  in  the  midst  of 
the  most  serious  danger  gave  him  a  great  mihtary 
reputation  throughout  Europe.  Yet  he  never  had 
the  opportunity  of  personally  retrieving  his  failure 
in  the  expedition  against  Algiers,  which  was  to  pass 
to  France  and  not  Spain. 

Fran5ois  I,  notwithstanding  his  ten  years'  truce 
with  Charles,  at  once  took  advantage  of  his  failure 
in  Africa  to  take  him  by  surprise  at  an  unguarded 
moment.  His  forces,  and  those  of  his  ally  the  Duke 
of  Cleves,  invaded  Artois  and  Flanders,  harassed 
Brabant  and  besieged  Antwerp,  while  the  Duke  of 
Orleans  took  possession  of  Luxemburg.  An  attack 
was  also  made  upon  Roussillon  by  the  French,  but 
they  were  driven  back  by  the  Spaniards  under  the 
Duke  of  Alva,  and  the  siege  of  Perpignan  was  a 
complete  failure.  From  this  time  the  tide  of  war 
turned  in  favour  of  Charles ;  the  Netherland  troops 
recovered  Luxemburg,  and  this  was  the  time  chosen 
by  the  Pope  to  treat  of  peace  between  France  and 
Spain,  on  terms  which  the  Emperor  most  indignantly 
rejected  as  we  see  in  his  Memoirs. 


192  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

Meantime  Frangois  had  renewed  his  alhance  with 
the  Sultan,  who  sent  Barbarossa  into  the  Mediter- 
ranean, with  a  fleet  of  180  galleys  and  10,000  men  to 
V  devastate   and   lay   waste   the   coast   of   Italy.     He 

burnt  Cotrone,  Reggio,  and  other  towns,  where  his 
corsairs  committed  the  most  horrible  atrocities  -with 
the  full  assent  of  the  French  envoy,  who  was  on 
board  the  great  galley  of  the  pirate  admiral.  Bar- 
barossa finally  set  sail  for  the  port  of  Marseilles, 
where  he  was  received  with  honour  and  congratula- 
tions by  the  French  Governor,  the  Comte  d'Enghien. 
We  can  scarcely  wonder  at  the  indignation  of  Charles 
that  "  the  Most  Christian  King ''  should  be  the  ally 
of  such  barbarians  and  infidels.  Nor  was  he  alone 
in  this  feehng  of  horror  at  such  an  alHance,  which 
spread  throughout  Protestant  Germany,  and  induced 
the  Diet  to  vote  Hberal  suppUes  for  the  defence  of 
Christendom  against  the  Turk.  This  was  also  the 
deathblow  to  the  hopes  of  Fran9ois  I  that  Germany 
would  com.bine  with  him  against  the  Emperor. 

The  Turkish  menace  still  increased  both  in  Hungary 
and  from  the  corsairs  on  the  coast  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean.' In  April  1543  Solyman  was  advancing 
towards  Vienna  and  Barbarossa  was  ravaging  the 
Tuscan  shores.  But  Charles  was  now  better  pre- 
pared for  resistance.  The  previous  year  his  son 
PhiHp  had  married  Dona  Maria  of  Portugal,  and 
received  with  her  a  large  dowry,  while  the  galleys 
from  Mexico  had  brought  over  a  precious  store  of 
gold  and  silver,  wliich  he  was  able  to  take  as  a  loan. 
Early  in  1543  Ferdinand  of  Austria  had  presided  at 
a  Diet  at  Niiremberg,  which  implored  the  Emperor 


DIET  OF  RATISBON  193 

to  return  from  Spain  and  defend  Germany  and  the 
Netherlands,  and  this  Charles  was  preparing  to  do. 

He  left  Spain  under  the  regency  of  Philip,  with  a 

Council  chosen  to  advise  and  help  him  ;   but  he  can 

scarcely  have  foreseen  that  he  would  never  more 

return  to  reign  as  sovereign  in  the  land  which  he 

had  learned  to  love  so  well.    He  sailed  for  Genoa, 

with  4,000  of  his  famous  Spanish  infantry,  and  only 

just  managed  the  voyage  in  time,   as  the  corsairs 

under  Barbarossa  were   already   on  the  way.     His 

sister,  Marie  of  Hungary,  was  aware  of  the  perils  of 

the  sea,  and  awaited  news  of  his  crossing  with  intense 

anxiety.     Since    he    embarked    from    Barcelona    on 

May  1,  Charles  had  been  nearly  a  month  in  the 

Mediterranean,   pausing   at  Marseilles   and  Savona. 

On  June  21  he  reached  Busseto,  where  Pope  Paul  III 

came  in  state  to  meet  him,  with  thirteen  cardinals, 

and  a  suite  of  500  foot  and  200  Ught  horse.     There 

was  a  conference  between  the  Pope  and  the  Emperor 

which  lasted  for  three  days,  but  produced  no  result, 

as  Paul  appears  to  have  made  unsuccessful  efforts 

to  obtain  Milan  or  Siena  for  his  family.     The  Emperor 

would  not  even  be  persuaded  by  the  entreaties  of  his 

daughter  Marguerite,  who  begged  for  the  Duchy  of 

Milan    for    her    husband    Ottavio    Farnese.      But 

Cosimo,  Duke  of  Florence,  had  been  more  successful 

in  his  influence  on  Charles,  who  highly  valued  the 

assistance  he  had  given  already.     On  the  promise 

of  Cosimo  to  undertake  the  defence  of  the  coast  of 

Tuscany  against  the  attacks  of  Barbarossa,  and  to 

advance  a  large  sum  of  money  towards  the  expense 

of  the  war  in  Flanders,  the  Emperor  granted  him  the 

13 


194  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

restitution  of  the  fortresses  of  Florence,  Pisa,  and 
Livorno,  which  he  had  long  anxiously  desired. 

The  Bishop  of  Cortona,  Giovanni  Ricasoh,  was 
sent  at  once  with  the  promised  sum  of  100,000  ducats, 
and  on  July  3  Cosimo  took  formal  possession  of  the 
fortress  of  Florence ;  and  when  those  of  Pisa  and 
Livorno  had  been  duly  taken  over  by  procuration, 
the  Duke  felt  at  last  that  he  was  an  independent 
prince,  free  from  all  control  in  his  own  dominions. 

He  had  scarcely  returned  to  Florence  when  news 
reached  him  that  the  fleet  of  Barbarossa  was  o£E 
Corsica  and  approaching  the  coast  of  Tuscany.  He 
at  once  sent  a  messenger  in  haste  to  Otto  da  Mon- 
tauta,  with  orders  to  collect  his  bands,  to  the  number 
of  4,000,  and  to  advance  towards  the  sea,  and  at 
the  sight  of  this  strong  force  the  pirate  captain  did 
not  think  it  prudent  to  land.  The  fleet  returned 
towards  Corsica,  and  for  the  moment  the  corsair 
danger  had  passed.  Piombino,  on  an  exposed  pro- 
montory, was  strongly  fortified ;  watch-towers  were 
built  on  every  hill-top,  and  the  whole  coast  of  Tuscany, 
as  far  as  Pietrasanta,  was  put  in  a  state  of  defence. 

The  Turkish  fleet  had  moved  on  towards  Mar- 
seilles, where  it  was  joined  by  a  French  squadron 
of  forty  ships  under  the  Due  d'Enghien,  and  together, 
Christians  and  infidels,  they  set  sail  towards  Nice, 
then  in  the  dominion  of  the  Duke  of  Savoy.  Be- 
sieged by  this  strong  force,  Nice  was  in  great  danger ; 
the  Emperor  was  far  away,  engaged  at  war  with  the 
Duke  of  Cleves,  and  the  only  succour  which  could 
come  to  the  beleaguered  city  was  from  the  Imperial 
general  Alfonso  del  Guasto  who  rapidly  approached 


DIET  OF  RATISBON  195 

by  land,  and  Andrea  Doria  who  brought  up  his 
galleys  by  sea.  They  came  too  late  to  save  Nice, 
which  had  been  compelled  to  capitulate  on  a  solemn 
assurance  of  most  favourable  terms.  But  Barbarossa 
kept  no  promises ;  he  plundered  the  town  in  the 
night,  burnt  part  of  it,  and  actually  carried  away 
5,000  of  the  inhabitants  as  slaves,  against  all  the 
laws  of  civilized  nations.  The  citadel  had  held  out, 
and  was  saved  by  the  arrival  of  del  Guasto  and  Doria. 
As  for  the  corsairs  and  the  French,  they  returned 
under  Barbarossa  to  Toulon,  where  they  stayed  the 
winter,  and  for  many  months  Christian  slaves — a 
great  part  of  the  population  of  Nice — were  sold  openly 
in  this  city  of  the  **  Most  Christian  King  ''Fran9ois  I. 

The  surrender  and  treacherous  destruction  of  Nice 
had  taken  place  on  September  8,  1543,  and  the  same 
day  marked  the  final  triumph  of  the  Emperor  over 
the  Duke  of  Cleves,  who  ceded  to  him  the  Duchy  of 
Guelders,  for  so  many  years  a  centre  of  rebellion, 
and  the  county  of  Zutphen.  But  Charles  was  a 
generous  foe,  and  he  suffered  the  Duke  to  retain  his 
hereditary  lands  of  Cleves ;  and  when  he  had  broken 
off  his  alUance  with  France  and  given  up  his  promised 
child-bride  Jeanne  d'Albret  of  Navarre,  Charles 
promised  to  bestow  upon  him  Marie  the  daughter  of 
King  Ferdinand,  his  own  niece,  and  the  marriage  took 
place  in  1 546.  We  see  the  importance  for  the  Emperor 
of  having  a  fast  friend  in  his  powerful  neighbour. 

But  the  war  with  France  was  still  vigorously 
carried  on,  and  Charles  had  need  of  all  the  help  he 
could  secure.  Luxemburg  was  again  lost  and  re- 
taken, the  battle  of  Ceresole  in  Piedmont  proved  a 


196  A  GREAT  EJMPEROR 

barren  victory  for  the  Frencli,  and  at  length 
Henry  VIII  took  definite  steps  to  help  in  the  invasion 
of  Picardy,  but  he  spent  seven  weeks  to  accomphsh 
the  siege  of  Boulogne.  Charles,  with  his  army  of 
50,000  men,  which  he  had  been  able  to  raise  by 
concessions  to  the  Protestants  at  the  Diet  of  Speyer, 
advanced  into  France  and  threatened  Paris.  He 
was  so  near  the  capital  that  his  cavalry  reached  the 
very  walls,  and  the  citizens  began  to  flee  in  dismay. 
France  was  isolated,  having  only  now  the  Pope  and 
the  Sultan  for  his  alhes,  for  by  giving  up  the  claims 
of  his  niece  Dorothea,  the  Emperor  had  detached 
the  Kings  of  Denmark  and  Sweden  from  the  hostile 
coahtion.  The  capture  of  Boulogne  on  September  14, 
1544,  probably  decided  the  French  to  make  peace, 
and  Charles  was  quite  wilHng  to  come  to  terms. 
His  mixed  army  was  of  inferior  quaUty,  had  dwindled 
with  disease  and  lost  all  heart.  Especially  we  are 
told  that  his  German  horse,  accustomed  to  one 
heavy  trot,  was  only  useful  in  the  shock  of  battle 
by  mere  weight,  and  was  of  no  use  for  scouting  or 
skirmishing.  Ultimate  success  against  the  trained 
army  of  the  Dauphin  which  was  advancing  towards 
Paris  was  very  doubtful,  and  the  mse  Granvelle 
strongly  urged  his  master  to  take  advantage  of  a 
temporary  success  by  making  peace. 

There  had  often  before  been  talk  of  giving  the 
Duke  of  Orleans  a  bride  and  a  dowry,  and  now  the 
Emperor  was  compelled  definitely  to  face  the  dilemma. 
The  suggestion  was  that  he  should  give  his  eldest 
daughter,  the  Infanta  Mary,  who  had  now  reached 
the  age  of  twenty,  or  liis  niece,  the  second  daughter 


DIET  OF  EATISBON  197 

of  Ferdinand,  and  that  her  splendid  dowry  should 

be  either  the  Netherlands  or  Milan.     There  was  very 

great  opposition  in  Spain  against  yielding  the  former, 

as  France  would  then  become  so  strong  that  she  could 

deprive  Spain  of  her  valuable  trade  with  the  Baltic 

and  the  North  Sea.     Charles  himself  hated  the  idea 

of   giving   up,    under    any   pretext,    his   hereditary 

provinces   and  was  far  more   disposed  to   consider 

Milan,  which  was  comparatively  a  recent  conquest. 

After  a  great  deal  of  heated  discussion,  during  which 

the  Emperor  became  quite  ill  with  mental  worry, 

he  at  last  decided  for  the  cession  of  Milan.     The 

Peace  of  Crepy  had  been  signed  in  September  1544, 

six  months  earher,  and  by  this  Frangois  renounced  all 

claims  to  Naples,  Flanders,  and  Artois,  and  he  agreed 

to  work  for  the  union  of  the  Church  and  against 

the  Turks.     The  Emperor  was  to  retain  his  hold  on 

the  Duchy  of  Milan  until  a  son  was  born  to  his  niece. 

The  King  of  France  was  to  give  his  second  son  a 

splendid  appanage  of  French  counties  on  his  marriage. 

But  this  event  never  took  place.     The  vices  of  all 

the  Valois  princes,  Frangois   I    and  his  sons,  were 

notorious  ;    and  the  Hcentious  Hfe  of  the  Duke  of 

Orleans   undoubtedly   hastened   his   premature   end 

on  September  9,   1545.     It  was  indeed  a  merciful 

escape  for  the  young  Austrian  princess ;    and  thus 

it  was  that  Milan  was  saved  to  the  Hapsburgs  for 

centuries  to  come.     With  their  possession  of  Spain 

and  the  Netherlands  it  proved  invaluable  as  the  key 

of  Lombardy  ;    the  highway  between  those  distant 

possessions   when   the   frequent   wars   with   France 

prevented  a  long  sea  voyage. 


CHAPTER    XVI 

RIVALRY  OF   CHARLES   V  AND   FRANgOIS   I 

The  rivalry  between  the  Emperor  Charles  V  and  Frangois  I,  King 
of  France — Brief  review  of  its  incidents,  tracing  the  origin  in  the 
hereditary  strife  between  Burgundy  and  France,  the  position 
of  the  two  realms  and  various  alliances — The  two  sovereigns  are 
rivals  to  the  end — Study  of  their  different  characters. 

At  this  point  in  the  history  of  Charles  V  when  the 
Peace  of  Crepy  had  just  been  signed,  the  last  treaty 
between  himself  and  Fran9ois  I,  whose  ignoble  life 
was  near  its  close,  it  is  a  moment  to  consider  the 
hereditary  feud  between  these  two  princes,  which  has 
all  the  dramatic  interest  of  predestined  doom.  The 
rivalry  of  Charles  and  Fran9ois  had  its  origin  in  the 
ancestral  hostihty  of  Burgundy  and  Valois,  which 
arose  long  before  the  fatal  battle  of  Nancy,  when 
Charles  the  Bold  was  slain  beneath  its  walls,  and 
Louis  XI  seized  the  Duchy  of  Burgundy  from  the 
hands  of  his  young  daughter  Marie.  This  was  the 
most  northerly  portion  of  the  Burgundian  kingdom, 
and  had  always  been  a  fief  of  the  Crown  of  France. 
When  Maximihan  of  Austria  won  the  heiress  of 
Burgundy  for  his  bride,  the  feud  was  adopted  by  the 
House  of  Hapsburg,  and  thus  it  was  that  Charles  V 
inherited  from  his  grandfather  Maximihan  the  duty  of 
revenge. 

198 


RIVALRY  OF  CHARLES  AND  FRANCOIS    199 

Yet  as  we  have  followed  the  history  of  the  various 
lands  over  which  Charles  held  sovereign  rule,  we  see 
everywhere  the  paramount  importance  of  peace  and 
not  war.  Peace  was  absolutely  necessary  for  the 
commerce  of  the  Netherlands,  the  looms  of  Flanders, 
the  iron- works  of  Namur  and  Liege,  and  the  prosperity 
of  the  trade-guilds.  Only  in  peace  could  the  great 
work  of  settling  colonies  in  the  newly  discovered 
western  world  be  carried  on  ;  and  without  peace  the 
unity  of  the  Empire  was  impossible.  Moreover 
Charles  himself  always  avoided  war  if  possible ;  he 
was  "  not  greedy  of  territory,  but  most  greedy  of 
peace  and  quiet,'"  as  the  Venetian  ambassador  said 
of  him.  All  his  wars  were  defensive ;  and  to  carry 
out  the  one  desire  of  his  heart  in  a  great  crusade 
against  the  Turks,  peace  in  Europe  was  the  first 
necessity.  Yet  lover  of  peace  as  he  was,  the  Emperor 
was  driven  to  war  all  his  Hfe,  and,  utterly  worn  out 
by  it,  was  at  length  compelled  to  give  up  his  Empire 
to  secure  some  measure  of  peace  before  his  end. 

Most  of  the  wars  of  his  reign  were  caused  by  the 
enmity  of  Frangois  I,  who  was  always  the  aggressor. 
It  has  been  suggested  on  behalf  of  this  unprincipled 
foe,  that  he  was  alarmed  at  the  increasing  power  of 
Charles,  whose  territories  touched  the  boundaries  of 
France  on  all  sides.  The  Netherlands  stretched  along 
the  northern  boundary,  until  they  reached  the  lands 
of  Prince-bishops  and  Electors.  Lorraine  on  the 
east  was  German.  Switzerland  was  German,  but 
always  disposed  to  rebel  against  Burgundy  and 
Austria,  which  gave  an  opening  to  the  King  of  France 
which  he  was  not  slow  to  use,  while  farther  on  Savoy 


200  A  GREAT   EMPEROR 

was  a  highway  to  Italy.  The  sea  and  the  Pyrenees 
were  two  barriers,  but  they  could  be  crossed.  Italy 
soon  became  a  field  of  battle  for  the  rivals,  as  Fran9ois 
claimed  Milan  and  Naples,  and  the  fatal  lure  of  Italy 
acted  upon  him  as  upon  Charles  VIII  and  Louis  XII. 
Ambitious,  ruthless,  and  false,  devoid  of  all  moral 
scruples,  he  threw  himself  with  a  light  heart  into 
this  foreign  war,  with  full  assurance  of  success  and 
glory. 

Thanks  to  the  repressive  poHcy  of  his  predecessors, 
the  young  King  of  France  had  all  the  resources  of 
his  subjects  absolutely  under  his  control ;  both  of 
the  Church  and  the  laity.  He  could  impose  what 
taxes  he  thought  well,  and  was  always  sure  of  ample 
subsidies  from  his  wealthy  kingdom.  His  own 
dominions  were  compact  and  well  adapted  for  de- 
fence ;  he  had  a  well-trained  army,  excellent  cavalry 
and  artillery,  and  ample  funds  to  engage  Swiss  or 
German  mercenaries.  Such  was  the  enviable  position 
of  Fran9ois  I,  when  at  the  age  of  twenty- one  he  came 
to  the  throne  of  France  in  1515.  If  there  was  a 
shadow  upon  his  prosperity,  it  may  have  been  that 
the  gentle  and  homely  Claude  had  been  forced  upon 
him  as  a  wife  by  her  father  Louis  XII  ;  yet  this  would 
be  of  small  account  to  a  prince  whose  fickle  and 
dissolute  taste  was  ever  passing  from  one  fair  object 
to  another. 

Very  different  in  every  way,  alike  in  his  dominions, 
his  resources,  and  character,  was  his  rival  Charles,  who, 
as  a  lad  of  sixteen,  came  into  the  last  of  his  great 
possessions  by  the  death  of  his  grandfather  Ferdinand 
on  January  23,  1516.     If  the  King  of  France  was 


RIVALRY  OF  CHARLES  AND  FRANCOIS    201 

ruler  of  a  compact  kingdom,  easy  of  defence,  that  of 
Charles  was  far  different.     From  his  father  PhiHppe 
he  had  inherited  the  provinces  of  the  Netherlands 
and  the  Burgundian  possessions,   with   an  exposed 
and    comphcated    frontier ;    and    therefore   it   was 
only   by   holding  Lombardy  that    he   could   safely 
travel  to  his  great  kingdoms  of  Castile  and  Aragon 
with  all  their  dependencies,  including  the  lands  of 
the  two  Sicihes.     In  1519,  to  all  these  he  added  the 
inherited  lands  of  the  Hapsburgs  in  Eastern  Europe, 
widely  spread  out,  with  foes  on  every  side.     As  for 
the  resources  of  Charles,  a  large  revenue  was  collected 
both  in  Spain  and  the  Netherlands,  but  was  mostly 
claimed  by  the  expenses  of  internal  government.     It 
was   always   ^vith    the   greatest   difficulty   that   the 
sovereign  could  obtain  a  subsidy  for  war  from  the 
Cortes  of  Castile  or  the  States  of  the  Netherlands. 
As  for  his  army,  the  Spanish  infantry  was  famous 
throughout  Europe,  and  the  regular  troops  of  the 
Netherlands  had  been  well  organized  and  could  always 
be  rehed  upon,  which  was  more  than  could  be  said  of 
the  soldiers  levied  in  Germany  and  Italy.     Charles 
could  never  obtain  enough  money  or  forces  of  his 
own  or  induce  other  sovereigns  of  Christendom  to 
join  him  heartily  enough  to  carry  out  the  great  desire 
of  his  Hfe,  an  effective  crusade  against  the  Turks, 
of  whom  Frangois  was  an  ally  during  most  of  his  reign. 
To  compare  the  moral  character  of  the  two  rivals 
would  be  an  insult  to  Charles,  of  whom  Melanchthon 
said  that  "  his  private  hfe  was  a  model  of  continence 
and  temperance,  and  that  domestic  disciphne,  of  old 
so  rigorous   among  German  princes,  was  now  only 


202  A  GREAT  ExMPEROR 

preserved  in  the  Emperor's  household/'  The  gay, 
frivolous,  scandalous  Court  of  Fran9ois  I  was  notori- 
ously a  complete  contrast  to  this  picture.  Deep 
rehgious  feehng,  honesty  of  purpose,  and  strong  self- 
control  were  some  of  the  most  striking  characteristics 
of  Charles,  and  there  was  warm  feehng  under  his  cold, 
reserved  manner.  It  has  been  said  of  him  that  he 
never  deserted  a  Minister  whom  he  had  once  trusted, 
and  that  he  never  lost  or  gave  up  a  friend.  On  the 
other  hand,  we  may  say  that  Fran5ois,  with  all  his 
pleasant  ways  and  charm  of  manner,  could  never  be 
trusted  by  man  or  woman,  that  he  never  made  or 
kept  a  true  friend,  and  that  his  treachery  often  cost 
him  dearly,  as  in  the  disastrous  consequences  of  his 
treatment  of  the  Due  de  Bourbon.  Frangois  thought 
only  of  pleasure,  and  had  no  sense  of  responsibihty, 
while  his  extravagance  in  pursuit  of  his  unworthy 
amusements  was  almost  incredible.  In  this  too  he 
was  a  contrast  to  Charles,  who  was  almost  too 
economical  in  liis  personal  expenses,  although  he 
could  make  a  fine  show  with  his  Court  on  State  occa- 
sions. In  many  respects  his  character  strongly 
resembled  that  of  his  grandmother,  Isabel  of  Spain; 
he  had  her  deep  religious  feehng,  her  ardent  desire 
for  a  Crusade,  her  persistence  in  any  plan  she 
thought  right,  and  her  wise  instinct  and  judgment 
in  choosing  capable  Ministers  and  remaining  loyal 
to  them. 

The  first  definite  conflict  between  Frangois  and 
Charles  was  with  regard  to  the  Imperial  election. 
Maximihan  before  his  death  was  anxious  to  secure 
it  for  his  grandson,  as  a  rightful  and  natural  succession 


RIVALRY  OF  CHARLES  AND  FRANCOIS    203 

to  his  own  position.  The  French  King  at  once 
entered  the  field  and  Leo  X  was  disposed  to  take  the 
side  of  France.  The  struggle  was  renewed  after  the 
death  of  Maximihan  ;  and  after  large  sums  of  money- 
had  been  spent  on  both  sides  the  Pope  withdrew  his 
opposition  and  on  June  28,  1519,  the  Electors  at 
Frankfort,  with  one  consent,  voted  for  Charles.  After 
this  war  was  inevitable  between  the  two  rivals,  and, 
as  we  have  seen,  it  continued  at  intervals  during 
nearly  forty  years  and  over  half  Europe.  There 
were  many  ups  and  downs,  but  the  first  sahent  success 
was  that  of  Pavia,  when,  with  the  help  of  the  relentless 
Bourbon,  the  French  King  was  taken  prisoner  and 
his  army  was  destroyed.  During  eleven  months 
Fran9ois  remained  in  captivity,  and  there  were  long 
and  tedious  negotiations  before  the  Treaty  of  Madrid 
was  signed.  Charles  had  insisted  upon  the  surrender 
of  his  hereditary  domain  of  Burgundy,  for  although 
he  was  never  aggressive,  he  was  very  tenacious  of 
his  rights.  He  also  demanded  the  restitution  to 
Charles,  Duke  of  Bourbon,  of  his  possessions,  and 
indeed  he  could  not  have  done  less  for  his  valuable 
ally.  There  were  other  conditions  which  the  French 
King  more  readily  granted,  but  these  two  points  he 
was  inwardly  resolved  never  to  yield,  notwithstanding 
all  the  solemn  promises  he  made. 

Perhaps  Charles  was  the  only  person  who  believed 
in  the  sincerity  of  Fran9ois,  for  no  one  else  trusted 
him.  The  world  was  justified  in  expecting  treachery 
and  want  of  faith,  for  the  French  King  was  no  sooner 
free  than  he  repudiated  everything  he  had  sworn 
and  joined  the  so-called   "  Holy  League "'   against 


204  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

Charles  wliich  had  been  formed  by  the  Pope  and 
Henry  VIII,  the  Venetians  and  other  Itahan  States. 
This  breach  of  a  sworn  treaty  was  a  terrible  blow  to 
Charles  which  he  never  forgave,  and  it  embittered  all 
subsequent  transactions  between  the  two  sovereigns. 
So  strongly  did  the  Emperor  feel  the  deadly  insult, 
that  he  actually  proposed  to  his  foe  to  settle  the 
matter  by  the  knightly  ordeal  of  single  combat.  But 
this  was  never  reahzed,  for  the  world  had  long  out- 
Hved  the  old  ideals  of  chivalry.  Meantime  the  war 
continued,  with  renewed  force,  in  Italy  especially,  and 
the  next  striking  event  was  the  taking  and  sack  of 
Rome  in  1527. 

During  the  long  contest  between  Spain  and  France, 
Henry  VIII  had  added  to  the  tangled  intrigues  by 
taking  now  one  side  and  then  the  other,  somewhat 
on  the  principle  of  maintaining  the  balance  of  power 
in  Europe,  for  he  usually  took  part  against  the 
aggressor.  Two  years  later,  chiefly  by  the  mediation 
of  Marguerite  of  Austria,  the  Peace  of  Cambray  was 
concluded,  by  which  the  marriage  arranged  between 
Frangois  and  Eleonore  the  sister  of  the  Emperor, 
was  carried  out,  the  two  sons  of  the  French  King, 
who  had  been  kept  as  hostages,  were  released,  and 
Charles  reluctantly  gave  up  his  demand  for  Burgundy. 
The  lull  in  the  storm  lasted  for  some  years,  but  all 
the  time  the  French  King  had  been  secretly  preparing 
for  another  war,  and  had  formed  a  close  alhance  with 
the  Sultan,  encouraging  in  every  way  the  piracy  of 
the  corsairs  on  the  southern  coasts.  This  was  his 
reply  to  the  eager  attempt  of  the  Emperor  to  start  a 
crusade  against  the  infidel.    Fran9ois  also  did  his 


RIVALRY  OF  CHARLES  AND  FRANCOIS    205 

best  to  undermine  the  Imperial  interests  amongst  the 
Protestant  princes  of  Germany.  It  was  not  until 
both  sides  were  weary  of  the  strife,  wliich  raged  alike 
in  Italy  and  Picardy,  that  a  truce  was  concluded  for 
ten  years,  again  by  the  interposition  of  the  princesses 
on  both  sides,  Eleonore,  Queen  of  France,  and  Marie 
of  Hungary,  who  had  succeeded  her  aunt  Marguerite 
as  Governor  of  the  Netherlands. 

But  the  ten  years'  peace  did  not  last  longer  than 
three,  and  Charles  was  attacked  in  five  different 
quarters :  Artois,  Brabant,  Luxemburg,  Piedmont, 
and  Roussillon ;  besides  this  he  had  already  serious 
troubles  on  hand  in  Germany.  To  make  the  contrast 
more  vivid  between  the  two  sovereigns,  we  find  that 
when  the  Emperor,  at  the  head  of  his  forces,  was 
actually  on  the  way  to  attack  Paris,  the  French  King 
and  his  Council  were  occupied  and  taken  up  with 
quarrels  between  his  mistresses  and  those  of  the 
Dauphin. 

After  a  devastating  but  unprofitable  struggle  on 
both  sides,  the  two  rivals  suddenly  made  peace  once 
more,  and  this  was  signed  at  Crepy,  near  Meaux,  on 
September  18,  1544.  Again  the  arrangement  was 
comphcated  by  matrimonial  alhances,  the  most 
important  being  the  proposed  marriage  of  a  daughter 
of  King  Ferdinand  with  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  with 
Milan  for  her  dowry,  but  this  came  to  nothing  as  the 
young  French  prince  died  in  the  meantime.  Another 
futile  condition  was  the  promise  of  Frangois  to 
contribute  to  the  never-ending  war  of  Charles  against 
the  invading  Turks.  We  may  rest  assured  that  this 
peace  would  not  have  been  more  lasting  than  the 


206  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

former  ones,  but  the  House  of  Valois  was  never  long- 
lived,  and  little  more  than  two  years  later  the  King, 
whose  health  had  long  been  broken  up,  ended  his 
dishonourable  hfe,  on  March  31,  1547,  leaving  a 
successor  as  abandoned  as  himself  in  his  son  Henri  II. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

DIET   OF  WORMS — WAR  OF  RELIGION 

Diet  of  Worms,  1545 — Open  rebellion  against  Charles  V  of  the  Lutheran 
princes — Protestant  League  takes  arms  against  the  Emperor — 
His  gallant  defence  of  Ingolstadt — He  wins  the  battle  of  Miihl- 
berg — John  Frederick  of  Saxony  and  PhiUp  of  Hesse  taken 
prisoners — Death  of  Henry  VIII — Death  of  Franfoia  I,  1547 — 
RebelUon  in  Hungary  after  the  death  of  Anne  the  wife  of 
Ferdinand — Peace  in  Germany  for  a  time — High-water  mark 
of  the  Emperor's  prosperity. 

After  the  Peace  of  Crepy,  September  1544,  Charles 
was  free  to  turn  his  attention  to  Germany,  where  he 
realized  the  steady  advance  of  the  Protestant  doctrines 
and  the  danger  to  the  Church  of  Rome.  He  was  at 
all  times  a  zealous  Churchman,  but  toleration  was 
forced  upon  him  as  a  pohtical  necessity,  while  his 
strong  desire  for  the  reform  of  the  Church  was  bhndly 
opposed  by  the  Pope.  He  showed  his  rehgious  zeal 
by  calhng  upon  all  his  subjects  to  conform  to  the 
"  Confession  of  Louvain,''  but  this  met  with  but 
Uttle  response.  Before  attempting  force  in  any  way, 
it  was  needful  to  come  to  terms  with  the  Pope,  who 
had  accumulated  large  funds  on  the  plea  of  a  crusade. 
This  might  be  used  either  against  the  Turks  or  the 
heretics. 

A  Diet  was  opened  at  Worms,  where  Charles  arrived 
in  1545,  having  been  delayed  by  an  attack  of  the  gout, 

207 


208  A  GKEAT  EMPEROR 

to  which  he  was  frequently  hable.  Here  he  met  with 
opposition  at  once,  for  the  Lutherans  refused  to  vote 
a  subsidy,  saying  they  cared  Httle  "  whether  their 
wives  and  children  were  carried  off  by  the  Turks  or 
the  Cathohcs."  It  was  in  vain  that  Charles  promised 
that  he  would  not  suffer  the  Council  to  interfere  with 
the  rights  of  any  estate,  and  that  if  the  Council  of 
Trent  should  fail  to  accomphsh  the  work  of  reform, 
he  would  take  other  measures.  But  he  could  not 
prevent  the  meeting  of  the  Council  to  which  Europe 
had  now  agreed,  and  he  begged  the  Lutherans  that 
they  would  be  reasonable. 

His  appeal  was  unsuccessful,  and  the  breach  was 
widened  by  the  Protestant  preachers.  Luther,  at 
that  moment  in  his  last  illness,  freely  denounced  the 
Pope  and  the  Roman  Cathohc  Church  ;  he  called 
upon  the  Emperor  "  to  head  a  war  of  rehgion  against 
Pope,  Cardinals,  and  all  the  Sodom  of  Rome.  .  .  ." 
Another  minister  called  upon  Charles  "  to  shake  off 
Papal  tyranny  and  destroy  the  temporal  power." 
This  was  the  temper  of  the  Protestants  when  the 
Council  of  Trent  held  its  opening  sitting  on  January  7, 
1546  ;  the  first  decrees  of  the  Council  were  laid  before 
the  Diet  of  Ratisbon  in  April,  and  utterly  rejected 
by  the  princes.  There  was  evidently  to  be  no  com- 
promise, and  open  war  could  not  be  long  delayed. 

There  was  division  in  the  Protestant  camp,  but 
those  who  openly  fought  against  the  Papal  cause  were 
John  Frederick  of  Saxony,  Phihp  of  Hesse,  Ulric, 
Duke  of  Wiirttemberg,  and  the  free  cities.  The 
Elector  Palatine  was  Protestant  and  neutral,  for  the 
present,  while  the  princes  who  continued  faithful  to 


208] 


FRANCOIS   I. 

By  Titian. 


3         3     >-      »     »     J  • 

)  >      3    ',3      ->  3   , 


J  J  '       3      >        3  3 

3   Oj       3     -'^3     3      3^3 


c^i  t. 


c     o   c-  c  o    c 


DIET  OF  WORMS  209 

Charles,  although  they  held  Lutheran  opinions,  were 
Maurice  of  Saxony,  Joachim  the  Elector,  John  of 
Brandenburg-Anspach,  Albert  of  Brandenburg-Culm- 
bach  and  Baireuth,  and  other  Brandenburg  princes. 
The  Emperor  had  declared  that  he  desired  the  restora- 
tion of  order,  in  the  secular  meaning,  throughout 
Germany.  He  had  made  every  effort  to  maintain 
peace,  as  he  shows  in  his  letter  to  Marie  of  Hungary 
on  June  6 : 

"  My  dear  Sister  .  .  .  You  know  what  I  told  you 
when  I  left  Maestricht,  that  I  would  do  all  in  my 
power  to  estabhsh  some  order  in  the  affairs  of  Germany 
and  to  make  some  advance  towards  its  pacification, 
avoiding  to  the  uttermost  the  path  of  force.  Accord- 
ingly, on  my  journey  I  did  all  that  I  could  towards 
this  end,  especially  in  connection  with  our  cousin 
the  Elector  Palatine,  the  Landgrave,  and  others. 
Ever  since  my  arrival  here  I  have  never  ceased  to 
make  every  conceivable  effort  to  induce  the  Lutherans 
and  other  sectarians  to  agree  to  some  method  of 
pacification,  yet  notwithstanding  all  my  eff'orts,  there 
has  been  no  result  whatever.  ..." 

On  July  15  the  Protestant  League  pubhshed  the 
reasons  for  taking  up  arms,  and  the  next  day  PhiHp 
of  Hesse  began  hostiUties  by  moving  his  army  to  the 
south  in  order  to  attack  the  Emperor,  who  was  still 
at  Ratisbon,  with  a  force  of  about  8,000  infantry. 
The  advancing  enemy  had  50,000  men  altogether,  but 
Charles,  nothing  daunted,  at  once  put  Philip  and  the 
Elector  under  the  ban  of  the  Empire.  They  re- 
tahated  by  sending  a  herald  to  renounce  their  allegi- 
14 


210  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

ance,  treating  him  as  a  pretender,  and  naming  him 
Charles  of  Ghent.  Charles  moved  to  Landshut,  where 
he  met  the  troops  sent  by  the  Pope,  12,000  foot  and 
500  hght  horse  ;  he  then  passed  on  by  a  hazardous 
night  march  to  Ingolstadt,  where  he  fortified  a  strong 
camp,  with  the  determination,  as  he  declared,  to 
remain  in  Germany,  ahve  or  dead.  To  add  to  his 
difficulties,  his  German  soldiers  were  mostly  Lutherans 
who  hated  the  levies  from  Spain  and  Italy,  and 
showed  special  aversion  to  the  confessor  of  the 
Emperor,  whom  they  blamed  as  being  the  cause  of 
this  civil  war. 

In  this  perilous  position  Charles  showed  splendid 
courage  and  spirit.  He  had  but  32  guns  with  which 
to  reply  to  the  Lutheran  bombardment  of  110,  but 
he  gallantly  rode  round  the  trenches,  calhng  upon 
his  men  to  stand  firm,  and  assuring  them  that  artillery 
made  more  noise  than  real  damage.  We  find  in 
liis  Memoirs  how  much  he  appreciated  the  help  of 
his  cavalry  in  the  trench  work.  When  Granvelle 
and  his  confessor  tried  to  persuade  the  Emperor  to 
take  more  care  of  himself,  he  replied  that  no  sovereign 
had  ever  been  killed  by  a  cannon-ball,  and  if  it  were 
his  fate  to  be  the  first,  thus  to  die  would  be  better 
than  to  live. 

Meantime  the  Count  de  Buren  was  marching  to 
support  Charles  with  the  forces  of  the  Netherlands, 
but  he  was  not  certain  where  to  find  him.  ^^'ith 
splendid  strategy  Buren  escaped  the  hostile  army  on 
the  watch  for  him,  and  crossed  the  Rhine  in  safety, 
passing  defiantly  onwards  to  Ingolstadt,  almost 
within  sight  of  the  enemy.     The  Emperor  was  now 


DIET  OF  WORMS  211 

able  to  take  the  offensive,  and  he  occupied  Donau- 
worth,  where  the  great  bankers,  the  Fuggers,  were 
on  the  CathoHc  side,  and  then  passed  on  to  Nordhngen. 
The  territory  of  Count  Palatine  Otto  Henry  was 
taken  possession  of,  and  the  Imperiahst  army  moved 
on  towards  Ulm.  But  the  city  was  too  strong  to 
be  taken  at  once,  and  as  the  autumn  advanced  the 
climate  began  to  tell  on  the  Spanish  and  Itahan 
troops,  and  supphes  fell  short.  But  in  spite  of  sick- 
ness and  desertion,  Charles  would  not  retire  into  winter 
quarters  ;  he  waited  for  the  princes  to  quarrel  amongst 
themselves,  and  their  unnatural  union  with  the 
Protestant  towns  to  come  to  an  end.  Trade  was 
being  ruined,  and  the  wealthy  cities  of  the  Baltic  had 
held  aloof,  as  well  as  the  Northern  princes. 

The  cause  of  the  Emperor  was  advanced  in  Saxony 
by  Maurice,  the  cousin  of  the  Elector  John  Frederick, 
who  carried  out  the  ban  of  the  Empire,  and  with  the 
help  of  King  Ferdinand  obtained  the  Electorate  for 
himself,  occupying  the  whole  domain  except  the 
fortified  towns  of  Wittenberg,  Gotha,  and  Eisenach. 
This  news  caused  great  alarm  to  the  League,  and 
John  Frederick  returned  home  to  fight  his  cousin, 
leaving  only  9,000  soldiers  to  protect  the  Swabian 
cities.  Thus  it  was  that  the  dehberate  strategy  of 
Charles  won  the  day  against  the  immense  strength  of 
his  enemies,  and  they  were  compelled  to  come  to 
terms.  But  John  Frederick  succeeded  in  regaining 
his  possessions  and  driving  away  his  cousin  Maurice, 
80  that  honours  were  divided.  Still  the  Emperor  had 
the  final  triumph,  for  he  was  able  to  take  possession 
of  the  southern  cities  and  the  great  fortress  of  Ulm 


212  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

which  had  been  the  head- quarters  of  the  Protestant 
League.  The  princes  came  one  after  another  to 
make  submission,  and  amongst  them  was  the  old 
friend  of  Charles,  the  Elector  Palatine,  who  had 
married  his  niece  Dorothea.  The  Elector  bowed 
low  before  his  Emperor,  who  sadly  reproved  him. 
*'  Most  of  all  it  has  grieved  me  that  you  should  be  the 
companion  of  my  foes,  when  we  were  friends  in 
youth.''  But  after  a  while  Charles  relented  and 
granted  him  full  forgiveness. 

Other  princes  did  not  escape  so  easily.  Ulrich  of 
Wiirttemberg  had  to  receive  a  Spanish  garrison  in 
each  of  ids  fortresses,  and  to  pay  a  large  indemnity. 
The  old  Elector  of  Cologne  had  to  give  up  his  see,  and 
other  nobles  were  let  oil  with  a  money  payment.  The 
Emperor  was  far  more  lenient  to  the  cities  ;  he  raised 
very  moderate  amounts  from  Ulm  and  Augsburg, 
where  he  promised  to  respect  the  Lutheran  faith, 
while  Strasburg  escaped  all  punishment.  In  February 
1547  Ferdinand  lost  his  wife  Anne  of  Hungary,  and 
was  alarmed  by  a  general  revolt  in  Bohemia,  where  it 
was  argued  that  he  was  only  Prince  Consort.  He 
eagerly  entreated  his  brother  Charles  to  come  to  his 
help,  as  his  mere  presence  would  be  as  valuable  as 
an  army.  The  Emperor  was  ill  at  the  time  with  his 
recurring  gout,  and  he  was  hampered  by  the  loss  of 
all  the  Papal  troops,  wliich  had  only  been  promised 
for  six  months.  Paul  III  was  indeed  at  this  time 
alarmed  at  the  Emperor's  success  and  was  disposed 
to  make  alhance  with  France.  He  caused  also  much 
inconvenience  by  moving  the  Council  to  Bologna. 
Yet  in  spite  of  all  these  obstacles,  Charles  nobly  rose 


DIET  OF  WORMS  213 

to  the  occasion,  and  was  carried  in  a  Ktter  from 
Nordlingen  to  Regensburg,  having  left  strong  garri- 
sons at  Augsburg,  Ulm,  and  Frankfort.  When  he 
arrived  at  Eger,  he  received  the  news  of  the  death  of 
Frangois  I,  and  here  he  was  joined  by  Ferdinand, 
Maurice,  and  the  Prince  of  Brandenburg,  and  re- 
mained for  Easter. 

We  have  a  very  full  account  of  all  this  campaign 
in  the  Emperor's  own  Memoirs,  and  he  speaks  very 
highly  of  the  devotion  and  success  of  his  captains  in 
the  work  of  the  advance  guard.  His  army  now 
consisted  of  18,000  infantry  and  800  horse,  and  after 
nine  days  of  constant  marching  they  reached  the 
banks  of  the  Elbe  and  discovered  that  John  Frederick 
was  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  not  three  leagues 
off,  guarding  the  bridge  of  Meissen.  Charles  tells  us 
that  he  now  decided  that  the  men  should  have  a  day's 
rest  after  their  long  march,  but  scouts  were  sent  to 
Meissen  the  next  morning  and  discovered  that  the 
enemy  had  decamped  at  midnight,  after  destroying 
the  bridge.  "  God  knows  how  he  repented  having 
rested  that  day,  for  he  feared  that  he  should  not 
overtake  the  enemy."  The  Elector  had  retired  down 
the  river  as  far  as  Miihlberg,  hoping  to  make  a  stand 
under  the  walls  of  Wittenberg,  while  he  kept  in  touch 
with  the  left  bank  by  means  of  his  bridge  of  boats. 

The  Emperor  here  showed  splendid  strategy.  He 
set  forth  on  the  march  with  his  army  from  3  a.m. 
before  dawn  of  April  23,  and  as  the  mist  cleared 
about  eight  in  the  morning  the  bridge  of  boats  was 
seen  hanging  from  the  opposite  bank  where  the  enemy 
was  encamped.    A  gallant  httle  company  of  Spaniards 


214  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

swam  the  river  with  swords  between  their  teeth,  put 
the  sentries  to  flight  and  brought  the  boats  safely 
across.  A\'ith  the  help  of  a  village  lad  a  ford  was  dis- 
covered close  by  which  the  hght  cavalry  could  cross  ; 
each  man  carrying  an  arquebusier  on  the  saddle 
behind  him.  The  fog  had  been  so  thick  that  the 
enemy  was  not  aware  of  the  approach  of  the  Imperial 
army,  and  when  Charles  and  his  brother  had  also 
crossed  the  ford,  with  the  water  up  to  the  girths 
of  their  horses,  the  Elector,  taken  by  surprise  at 
his  breakfast,  hastily  gave  orders  to  withdraw  the 
infantry  and  the  guns,  while  he  covered  the  retreat 
himself  with  his  cavalry.  He  would  have  been  wiser 
to  defend  his  strong  position,  as  it  took  a  long  time 
for  the  greater  part  of  the  Emperor's  forces  and 
munition  to  cross  by  the  bridge  of  boats. 

The  light-horse  cavalry  and  the  Hungarians  were 
sent  forward  in  pursuit,  followed  by  the  advance 
guard,  while  Charles  and  Ferdinand  kept  closely  in 
their  rear  with  a  strong  force.  About  nine  miles 
from  Miihlberg,  the  Elector's  cavalry  turned  to  face 
the  pursuers  with  fine  courage,  but  met  with  such 
a  fierce  attack  that  the  retreat  soon  became  a 
headlong  flight.  So  the  day  passed,  in  one  long  rear- 
guard action,  and  nearly  half  the  Saxon  army  was 
left  on  the  field  or  taken  prisoner,  losing  all  the 
artillery  and  baggage.  The  Elector  John  Frederick 
showed  splendid  personal  courage,  for  when  he  was 
surrounded  in  the  wood  through  which  his  soldiers 
had  fled,  he  fought  gallantly  alone  against  the  horse- 
men of  Italy  and  the  troopers  of  Hungary,  until  he 
was  wounded  and  forced  to  surrender.     When  the 


DIET  OF  WORMS  215 

general  returned  from  the  pursuit  of  the  flying  host, 
he  brought  John  Frederick  into  the  presence  of  the 
Emperor.  Various  accounts  are  given  of  the  meeting, 
but  it  appears  to  have  been  somewhat  stormy. 
Charles  had  been  on  horseback  for  twenty-one  hours, 
was  utterly  worn  out  and  in  pain,  so  he  may  be  for- 
given if  he  did  not  show  his  usual  courtesy.  But  his 
temper  soon  recovered  and  he  gave  minute  directions 
for  the  care  of  his  prisoner,  treating  him  with  princely 
honour,  and  allotting  to  his  service  a  doctor,  a  barber, 
a  valet,  and  two  pages. 

Some  zealous  Roman  CathoUcs,  and  amongst  them 
the  Confessor,  urged  the  sentence  of  death,  but 
Charles  would  not  hsten  to  them.  The  punishment, 
however,  was  severe  to  his  cousin  Maurice  in  the 
loss  of  the  Electorate,  to  which  other  property  was 
added ;  and  John  Frederick  was  kept  a  prisoner. 
Duke  Ernest  of  Brandenburg  shared  his  fate,  and  we 
hear  of  the  two  princes  beguihng  their  captivity  by 
playing  chess  together. 

On  May  23  the  Emperor  and  his  following  marched 
into  Wittenberg,  the  central  stronghold  of  Pro- 
testantism. Luther  had  been  buried  a  year  before 
in  the  stately  church,  and  we  are  told  that  when  the 
Bishop  of  Arras  suggested  that  the  bones  of  the 
heretic  should  be  cast  to  the  winds,  Charles  rephed : 
"  I  war  not  with  the  dead,  but  with  the  living.''  To 
the  city  came  Sibylla  the  Elector's  wife,  to  pray  for 
mercy ;  she  was  most  graciously  received,  but  did 
not  obtain  her  husband's  pardon.  We  cannot  wonder 
at  this,  for  the  Elector  had  piled  up  a  long  Kst  of 
most  serious  offences  against  his  feudal  lord.    For 


216  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

thirty  years  he  and  his  kindred  had  opposed  the 
House  of  Hapsburg  in  every  possible  way.  His  uncle 
had  done  his  best  to  prevent  the  election  of  Charles 
as  King  of  the  Romans ;  he  had  been  the  protector 
of  Luther  against  the  ban,  and  had  encouraged  every 
form  of  warfare  by  word  and  deed  against  the  orthodox 
faith.  His  father  had  been  the  cause  of  forming  the 
hostile  League  of  Schmalkalden.  John  Frederick  him- 
self had  been  the  persistent  foe  of  all  the  Emperor's 
plans  for  peace  and  union ;  he  had  sought  help  from 
France  and  England,  he  had  helped  the  Duke  of 
Cleves  to  usurp  Cruelders,  and  had  encouraged  re- 
belhon  against  Ferdinand  in  Bohemia.  There  was 
indeed  much  to  forgive. 

Meantime,  as  the  war  continued,  the  Imperial 
army  had  been  forced  to  raise  the  siege  of  Bremen, 
and  Eric  of  Bruns\vick  had  been  defeated  near 
Drakenburg.  This  encouraged  the  Landgrave,  PhiHp 
of  Hesse,  to  continue  the  contest  a  Uttle  longer,  but 
at  length  he  surrendered  on  condition  that  his  person 
should  be  safe  and  that  he  should  not  suffer  perpetual 
imprisonment.  His  lands  should  be  left  untouched 
and  free  to  hold  the  Lutheran  faith  ;  but  he  was  to 
pay  an  indemnity,  to  give  up  his  artillery  and  dis- 
mantle most  of  his  fortresses.  Unfortunately,  two 
of  the  Electors,  Maurice  and  Joachim  of  Brandenburg, 
had  been  so  eager  in  persuading  Phihp  to  surrender 
that  they  had  gone  beyond  the  Emperor's  word,  and 
promised  that  he  would  only  be  a  prisoner  for  a  few 
days.  This  misunderstanding  led  to  an  accusation 
of  treachery  when  Charles  made  it  plain  that  the 
Landgrave  was  to  be  a  prisoner  for  the  present,  and 


DIET  OF  WORMS  217 

this  was  a  source  of  much  future  trouble.  We  see  in 
the  Emperor's  Memoirs  how  keenly  he  felt  the  imputa- 
tion on  his  honour  ;  and  in  his  whole  account  of  this 
war  we  recognize  his  splendid  miUtary  quahties,  of 
which  his  indomitable  courage  was  not  the  least. 

Thus,  although  he  knew  the  Netherlands  were 
threatened  both  east  and  west,  he  wrote  to  his  sister 
Marie  to  keep  guard  on  her  frontiers,  but  to  send  every 
man  and  gun  that  could  be  spared  to  the  front. 
Although  ill  and  in  almost  constant  pain,  he  took 
part  in  all  the  perils  of  his  men,  **  snatching  a  Httle 
sleep  in  his  litter  behind  a  bastion.''  When  all  his 
ministers  advised  him  to  move  into  winter  quarters, 
he  refused  to  give  his  enemies  the  least  chance  of 
outstaying  him,  and  faced  the  bitter  cold  and  wet 
and  the  hardships  they  entailed  with  quiet  heroism. 

The  war  now  seemed  almost  at  an  end,  for  in  the 
north-east  of  Germany  the  Dukes  of  Pomerania 
made  peace,  while  Ferdinand  had  reduced  the  re- 
belUon  in  Bohemia.  Magdeburg,  however,  still  held 
out,  and  Charles,  hardly  reaUzing  its  importance, 
thought  it  wiser  not  to  risk  an  assault.  He  was 
satisfied  with  his  successes,  and  indeed  no  Emperor 
since  Frederick  II  had  been  so  powerful  throughout 
Germany.  '*  W^ar  has  lasted  long  enough,"  as  he 
remarks ;  "  and  now  it  is  needful  to  settle  the 
afiairs  of  the  nation  by  gentle  means  and  with  the 
collaboration  of  the  representatives  of  the  Empire." 
He  therefore  resolved  to  convoke  a  Diet  where  he 
might  once  more  attempt  to  carry  out  his  ideas  of 
peace  and  conciliation,  and  thus  reap  some  reward  for 
his  victories. 


CHAPTEE   XVIII 

COUNCIL    OF    TRENT    MOVED    TO    BOLOGNA — STORY 

OF    SIENA 

Intrigues  of  Paul  III — His  attempt  to  install  the  Inquisition  in  Naples 
— Opposition  of  the  people,  who  are  supported  by  the  Emperor 
— Stormy  Council  of  Trent,  1546 — Paul  III  removes  the  Council 
to  Bologna — The  eventful  story  of  Siena — Contest  of  Spain  and 
France  for  possession  of  the  city — Final  siege  and  heroic  defence 
before  Siena  yielded  to  Duke  Cosimo  as  vassal  of  the  Emperor. 

During  the  war  in  Germany  the  feud  between  the 
Pope  and  the  Emperor  increased  in  bitterness. 
Paul  III  wished  to  treat  the  enterprise  as  a  Crusade 
against  the  Protestants,  giving  indulgences  to  all  who 
prayed  for  its  success,  the  legate  Farnese  bearing 
the  cross  and  his  brother  Ottavio  the  consecrated 
sword.  This  was  by  no  means  the  view  of  Charles, 
who  had  many  Lutherans  on  his  side,  and  earnestly 
desired  to  make  peace  by  a  compromise  between  the 
hostile  rehgions.  A  large  Papal  subsidy  had  been 
promised,  but  the  delay  in  sending  any  part  of  it  was 
a  great  source  of  trouble.  The  Itahan  soldiers  sent 
were  of  very  little  use,  but  even  so  it  was  a  most 
unfriendly  act  of  the.  Pope  to  recall  them  at  the  most 
critical  moment  of  the  campaign.  This  was  in 
January  1547  ,  when  Charles  had  just  lost  his  ally 
Henry  VIII    to  whom  he  had  promised  "  to  be  a 

318 


COUNCIL  OF  TRENT  MOVED         219 

father  to  his  son  Edward."  On  the  other  hand, 
Paul  III  was  intriguing  with  the  French  and  suggested 
a  war  to  place  Mary  on  the  throne  of  England.  This 
Charles  absolutely  protested  against,  and,  as  we  have 
seen,  his  position  became  stronger  on  this  point  when 
in  March  the  death  of  Frangois  I  left  his  country 
with  a  less-definite  pohcy. 

It  was  fortunate  for  the  Emperor  that  he  had  strong 
alHes  in  Italy  during  all  this  time  of  disturbance, 
when  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  give  the  personal 
attention  so  much  required  for  his  Itahan  possessions. 
There  was  serious  trouble  threatened  at  Naples  when, 
in  May  1547,  Paul  III,  who  had   organised  the  In- 
quisition in  Rome,  July  21,  1542,  thought  that  now 
would  be  a  good  opportunity  for  extending  its  powers 
to  Naples.     He  sent  a  Brief  to  that  city  "  command- 
ing that  all  cases  of  heresy  be  judged  by  the  tribunal 
of    the   Inquisition.''    The   Imperial   Viceroy,    Don 
Pedro  de  Toledo,  knowing  the  temper  of  the  people 
with  regard  to  the  Inquisition,  did  not  dare  to  pubhsh 
the  Brief  in  the  usua]  way,  by  sound  of  trumpet,  but 
he  had  it  quietly  put  up  on  the  door  of  the  Arch- 
bishop's palace,  and  then  retreated  to  his  castle  at 
PozzuoU,  at  the  foot  of  Monte  Nuovo,  to  await  the 
result.     He  was  not  kept  long  in  suspense  ;  the  Brief 
was  at  once  torn  down  by  the  people,  who  refused  to 
give   up   the   ringleaders,    and   marched   in   tumult 
through  the  streets.    They  sent  the  Viceroy  a  deputa- 
tion carefully  chosen  by  the  popular  magistrates,  and  ; 
of  this  a  certain  Antonio  Grisone  was  the  spokesman.                  -'^ 
He  earnestly  pointed  out  to  Don  Pedro  how  hateful                 ,] 
the  very  name  of  the  Inquisition  was  to  the  citizens,                 | 

I 


220  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

and  implored  him  not  to  place  upon  the  loyal  people 
this  intolerable  oppression. 

The  Viceroy  received  the  deputation  with  courtesy, 
and  made  a  most  diplomatic  reply,  assuring  the 
people  that  neither  the  Pope  nor  the  Emperor  would 
oppose  their  wishes,  and  finally  the  deputation  re- 
turned in  peace  to  Naples.  But  this  security  did  not 
last  long.  Some  months  later  another  edict,  using 
much  stronger  language  with  regard  to  installing  the 
Inquisition,  was  posted  up  on  the  gates  of  the  Arch- 
bishop's palace.  The  whole  city  rose  in  uproar,  and 
with  cries  of  "  To  arms  !  To  arms !  "  rushed  to  tear 
down  the  Pope's  Brief.  The  nobles  joined  with  the 
multitude  in  their  hatred  of  the  Inquisition,  and 
protested  that  they  would  all  resist  to  the  death 
against  it,  at  the  same  time  declaring  their  faithful 
allegiance  to  the  Emperor. 

This  was  open  rebelhon,  and  the  Viceroy  could  not 
ignore  it.  He  returned  to  Naples  determined  to  put 
it  down  with  a  strong  hand.  A  certain  Tommaso 
AnieUo,  a  native  of  Sorrento,  who  had  been  foremost 
in  tearing  down  the  edict,  was  arrested,  but  the 
populace  assumed  so  threatening  an  attitude  that  the 
magistrates  thought  it  prudent  to  release  him. 
Toledo  then  sent  secretly  to  Genoa  for  Spanish  troops 
to  occupy  the  fortress  of  Castel  Nuovo,  from  where 
they  entered  Naples  and  fired  on  the  inhabitants, 
kilhng  men,  women,  and  children.  The  NeapoHtana 
rang  the  great  bell  of  San  Lorenzo  as  a  summons  to 
arms,  and  all  was  tumult  and  confusion  until  the 
night  closed  in.  The  magistrates  decided  to  send  an 
embassy  to  the  Emperor ;   but  meantime,  during  the 


COUNCIL  OF  TRENT  MOVED         ?21 

next  fifteen  days,  deadly  skirmishes  continued  be- 
tween the  soldiers  and  the  people,  who,  to  show  that 
this  was  no  mere  seditious  rising,  hoisted  a  banner  on 
the  belfry  of  San  Lorenzo  mth  the  Emperor's  arms 
and  took  the  same  watchword  as  their  foes  :  "  Spain 
and  the  Emperor/' 

It  was  an  unspeakable  rehef  to  both  sides  when  at 
length  the  envoys  returned  from  the  Court  at  Augs- 
burg where  Charles  was  at  that  time,  and  the  Viceroy 
was  able  to  assure  the  desperate  inhabitants  that  "  it 
was  not  the  intention  of  His  Imperial  Majesty  to 
insist  upon  the  estabHshment  of  the  Inquisition,  and 
that  he  was  willing  to  forget  the  past  on  account  of 
their  personal  loyalty  to  himself."  The  Emperor 
kept  liis  word,  and  no  further  attempt  during  his  hfe 
was  made  to  estabhsh  this  hated  tribunal  at  Naples. 

We  have  already  alluded  to  the  trouble  and  annoy- 
ance which  Paul  III  caused  to  the  Emperor  with 
regard  to  the  Council  of  Trent  which  he  had  so  long 
and  eagerly  desired.  It  proved  to  be  the  surest 
means  of  promoting  discord  between  them,  for 
although  Trent  was  a  German  town,  yet  the  Pro- 
testants refused  to  recognize  the  Council,  for  they 
were  well  aware  that  notliing  was  done  there  without 
reference  to  the  Pope,  whose  only  wish  was  to  bring 
it  to  an  end.  In  August  1546  he  had  given  his 
legates  secret  authority  to  remove  the  Council  from 
Trent,  and,  to  the  great  indignation  of  the  Emperor, 
this  plan  was  actually  carried  out  in  March  1547, 
and  the  Council  was  transferred  to  Bologna,  where  it 
would  be  more  absolutely  under  the  control  of  the 
Pope  himself.     This  took  place  at  the  critical  moment 


222  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

in  the  war  when  Charles  was  already  on  the  march 
to  Muhlberg.  He  turned  to  Girolamo  Verallo,  the 
Pope's  legate,  and,  losing  all  control  of  temper,  he 
complained  that  the  Pope  was  an  obstinate  old  man, 
bent  on  the  ruin  of  Christendom.  He  would  listen  to 
no  explanations,  but  declared  that  he  would  not  argue 
the  matter,  adding  :  **  Go  away,  go  away  ;  for  I  can 
no  longer  beheve  a  word  spoken  by  you  or  the  Pope  ! 
Go  away,  talk  about  it  to  Arras/' 

The  Spanish  bishops  had  remained  at  Trent,  and 
Charles  refused  to  recognize  the  meeting  at  Bologna. 
He  threatened  to  supersede  it  by  a  national  synod,  for 
he  declared  that  so  deeply  interested  was  he  in  obtain- 
ing rehgious  unity,  that  even  in  time  of  battle  against 
his  foes  his  thoughts  were  ever  full  of  it.  However, 
his  relations  with  the  Pope  became  more  strained  as 
time  passed  on,  and  the  fact  that  the  Emperor's 
Viceroy,  Ferrante  Gonzaga,  was  supposed  to  have 
incited  the  rebelhon  in  Piacenza  w^hen  Pierluigi 
Farnese  was  murdered  did  not  add  to  the  chance  of 
peace  with  Paul  III  his  father.  This  took  place  in 
September  1547.  Gonzaga,  now  Imperial  Viceroy  of 
Milan,  showed  himself  aggressive  in  many  ways  ;  he 
repeated  the  old  game  of  stirring  up  the  Colonna 
against  the  Pope,  and  concerted  with  Florence  an 
attack  upon  the  Papal  city  of  Perugia.  Also,  with 
the  aid  of  Duke  Cosimo  of  Florence,  he  occupied 
Elba  and  Piombino.  Gonzaga  would  have  made  the 
visit  of  Prince  Philip  to  Genoa  an  excuse  for  building 
an  Imperial  fortress  there,  but  Charles  forbade  that 
anything  should  be  done  to  disturb  the  position  of  his 
old  friend  Admiral  Doria. 


COUNCIL  OF  TRENT  MOVED         223 

The  story  of  Siena  now  plays  an  important  part. 
There  had  been  great  changes  since  that  fair  spring 
day  in  1536,  when  Charles  had  paid  a  visit  to  the 
beautiful  hill-city  which  he  had  taken  under  his 
protection.  He  had  received  a  splendid  reception 
and  won  golden  opinions  by  his  friendly  courtesy, 
but  the  succession  of  Spanish  governors  must  have 
done  much  to  disillusion  the  hopes  of  the  people. 
When  the  Emperor  in  1543  gave  up  the  citadel  of 
Florence  to  Duke  Cosimo,  the  governor  was  made 
deputy  ruler  of  Siena.  Wishing  to  obtain  the  city 
for  himself,  he  tried  to  make  alliance  with  the  Piccolo- 
mini,  and  encouraged  the  faction  of  the  Noveschi, 
chiefly  composed  of  the  burgher  nobility,  to  recover 
their  old  dominion.  In  consequence,  they  made  an 
attempt  to  murder  the  leaders  of  the  Popolani  at  a 
bull-fight ;  but  this  having  failed,  the  Noveschi  rose 
in  arms  in  February  1546,  with  cries  of  "  Imperio  e 
Nove  !  Imperio  e  Nove  !  "  trusting  to  the  support 
of  the  Spanish  garrison.  But  the  whole  of  the  city 
rose  in  fury  against  them  ;  many  were  massacred  and 
the  rest  fled  in  company  with  Don  Giovanni  de  Luna 
and  his  soldiers. 

Rejoicing  in  their  new-found  freedom,  the  people 
placed  the  government  of  Siena  in  the  hands  of  a 
committee  of  ten,  consisting  of  the  Captain  of  the 
people  and  three  representatives  from  each  of  the 
Monte,  excepting  the  Monte  dei  Nove.  This  small 
assembly  was  to  have  all  the  authority  of  the  "  Balia," 
the  former  governing  body  of  forty  representatives. 
For  two  years  the  city  appears  to  have  lived  in  a 
foors  paradise,  "  with  processions  and  festivities  in 


224  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

the  Campo,  the  citizens  being  all  joyous,  thinking 
that  they  had  conquered  and  imagining  that  never 
again  would  any  one  molest  them/' ' 

But  a  bitter  awakening  was  in  store  for  them. 
When  the  Emperor  had  a  little  leisure  from  his 
pressing  affairs  in  Germany,  he  turned  his  attention 
to  rebellious  Siena,  and  sent  as  their  governor  Don 
Diego  Hurtado  de  Mendoza.  At  first  the  people 
appealed  to  the  Pope  and  refused  to  acknowledge  the 
supremacy  of  Charles  V,  but  at  length,  in  a  great 
measure  by  the  mediation  of  Duke  Cosimo,  they  were 
induced  to  admit  a  garrison  of  Spaniards,  in  Septem- 
ber 1548.  Mendoza,  who  arrived  in  October,  restored 
the  Noveschi,  replaced  the  "  Balia ''  of  forty  mem- 
bers, and  insisted  on  choosing  half  of  them  himself. 
He  behaved  in  the  most  despotic  manner,  quartered 
his  soldiers  in  the  churches  of  San  Francesco,  Sant' 
Agostino,  San  Domenico  and  the  Servi ;  he  ordered 
all  the  weapons  and  arms  in  the  city  to  be  brought 
to  San  Domenico,  while  all  the  artillery  was  collected 
in  the  Piazza  by  the  side  of  the  Campanile.  He  ruled 
the  Republic  with  a  rod  of  iron  and  became  "  a  foe 
to  Italy,  to  Heaven,  and  to  the  world,  and  thought 
to  make  himself  in  Siena  second  to  God." 

Satisfied  that  the  Republic  was  under  his  absolute 
control,  Mendoza  now  announced  that  it  was  the  will 
of  the  Emperor  to  build  a  citadel  at  the  city  wall, 
and  that  the  men  of  Siena  were  themselves  to  provide 
the  materials.  At  this  terrible  news  of  the  coming 
deathblow  to  their  liberty,  all  the  citizens,  high  and 
low,   were  thrilled   with   horror   and  dismay.     The 

^  Sozzini. 


COUNCIL   OF  TRENT  MOVED         225 

disaster  must  be  averted  at  any  cost ;  the  tower 
must  not  be  built.  It  was  decided  that  an  appeal 
should  be  at  once  made  to  the  Emperor  himself ; 
and  two  of  the  most  important  men  of  Siena  were 
sent  to  him  at  Augsburg,  in  November,  with  petitions 
signed  by  more  than  a  thousand  of  the  citizens. 
But  they  felt  this  was  not  enough,  and,  with  wistful 
memory  of  the  past,  they  determined  once  more  to 
dedicate  their  city  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  trust 
in  her  power  to  guard  her  own. 

On  the  following  Sunday,  the  Signori,  with  the 
Captain  of  the  city  at  their  head,  went  in  procession 
to  the  Duomo  with  the  keys  of  the  city,  and  fifty 
maidens  to  whom  they  promised  dowries  for  the  sake 
of  the  Holy  Mary.  A  solemn  mass  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  was  sung,  and  then  the  Captain  made  a  long 
and  devout  prayer  of  dedication. 

"  If  ever  in  times  past,  Immaculate  Mother  of  God, 
our  Patroness  and  Advocate,  with  compassionate 
prayers  thou  hast  moved  the  mercy  of  thine  only 
begotten  Son  towards  this  thy  most  devout  city, 
may  it  please  thee  to-day,  more  than  ever  to  do  so. . .  . 

"  Behold,  most  Sacred  Virgin  .  .  .  the  souls  of  the 
Sienese  people,  repentant  for  all  past  errors,  kneeling 
and  prostrate  before  thy  throne  to  beg  mercy  and 
deliverance  from  the  projected  Castle.  .  .  .  Further,  I 
consecrate  to  thee  the  city ;  I  present  to  thee  anew 
the  keys,  as  to  her  who  is  the  safest  and  most  powerful 
to  guard  them.  .  .  .  Open  with  them  the  heart  of 
Caesar,  removing  from  it  his  needless  design.  Dispose 
him  rather  to  preserve  devout  and  faithful  subjects 
15 


226  A  GEEAT  EMPEROR 

to  his  Caesarian  Majesty  .  .  .  that  we  may  rejoice 
without  end  in  our  cherished  liberty.  .  .  ." 

The  appeal  to  the  Emperor  was  in  vain  ;  now  that 
he  had  given  up  the  fortresses  of  Florence  and  others 
to  Duke  Cosimo,  he  was  resolved  to  have  one  strong 
place  in  Tuscany.  He  was  courteous  to  the  am- 
bassadors and  assured  them  that  he  was  having  this 
fortress  built  for  the  defence  of  Siena's  liberty,  but 
he  would  not  listen  to  their  remonstrances,  and  sent 
them  away  lamenting  :  "  We  must  drink  this  bitter 
chalice." 

They  returned  to  j&nd  the  foundations  of  the  castle 
laid  on  the  Poggio  di  San  Prospero,  where  Mendoza 
in  his  mantle  of  red  cloth  was  constantly  hurrying 
on  the  work.  Then  a  strange  thing  happened ; 
amongst  the  labourers  was  seen  a  ghostly  figure,  the 
hermit  Brandano,  who  had  wandered  round  Italy 
preaching  repentance  ;  he  was  clad  in  sackcloth  with 
a  halter  round  his  neck,  a  crucifix  in  one  hand  and 
a  death's-head  in  the  other.  He  had  appeared  in 
Rome  on  the  eve  of  the  sack  of  the  Eternal  City, 
foretelling  the  coming  destruction,  and  had  been 
thrown  into  the  dungeons  of  the  church.  Here  at 
Siena  he  stood  upon  the  hill-top,  wailing  aloud  : 
"  Except  the  Lord  keep  the  city,  the  watchman 
waketh  but  in  vain,"  until  he  was  banished ;  but 
his  words  were  not  forgotten. 

Hi  the  absence  of  Don  Diego  a  conspiracy  was 
formed  to  admit  a  large  force  of  French  and  Italians, 
who  fired  the  Porta  Romana  one  evening  in  July  1552, 
and   entered   Siena.     The  Spaniards,  supported  by 


COUNCIL  OF  TEENT  MOVED         227 

troops  sent  by  the  Duke  of  Florence,  fortified  them- 
selves in  San  Domenico  and  in  Camollia,  with  the 
fortress  behind  them.  There  was  fighting  all  night, 
and  the  defenders  were  driven  back,  and  many 
Spaniards  were  killed ;  "  and  so  by  the  grace  of 
God  all  the  city  was  free."  At  the  beginning  of 
August  the  citadel  capitulated,  by  the  intervention 
of  Cosimo,  and  the  defenders  were  allowed  to  retire 
with  their  arms  and  baggage  to  Florence.  The 
French  at  once  took  possession  and  made  over  the 
fortress  to  the  Republic,  amidst  great  rejoicings  and 
shouts  of  "  Liberty  !  Liberty  !  France  !  France  !  " 
Then  the  nobles  and  the  poorer  citizens  alike  all  set 
to  work  at  destroying  this  menace  to  their  liberty 
with  pickaxes  and  other  tools  until,  **  in  the  space  of 
one  hour,  more  was  broken  down  than  would  have 
been  built  in  four  months." 

The  people  of  Siena,  rejoicing  in  the  thought  of 
their  freedom,  gave  themselves  up  to  games  and 
amusements,  with  full  confidence  that  the  French 
garrison  would  protect  them.  When  Cardinal  d'Este 
arrived  in  November  as  Lieutenant  of  the  King  of 
France,  he  set  to  work  on  new  forts  outside  the  Porta 
Camollia,  and  the  citizens  helped  in  the  building 
**  always  gladly  to  the  sound  of  drums  and  trumpets," 
but  some  wise  men  noticed  that  these  forts  were  so 
built  that  they  might  serve  to  bombard  the  city  as 
well  as  defend  it. 

Meantime,  Imperial  troops  were  collecting  in  the 
kingdom  of  Naples,  and  in  the  early  part  of  1553  a 
great  army  of  Spaniards  and  others  under  Don 
Garzia  de  Toledo,  invaded  the  domain  of  the  Re- 


228  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

public.  Pienza  and  Monticcliiello  were  taken,  and 
Montalcino  was  besieged  for  two  months  and  defended 
with  great  heroism  until,  on  a  rumour  of  the  Turkish 
fleet  having  arrived  o&  the  coast  of  Italy,  Don  Garzia 
burnt  his  camp  and  hastened  to  the  defence  of  Naples. 
There  were  great  rejoicings  and  solemn  thanksgivings 
in  Montalcino  "  thus  saved  as  by  a  miracle." 

Before  long  a  conspiracy  was  formed  in  Siena  by  the 
intrigues  of  Duke  Cosimo  in  order  to  admit  his 
soldiers  by  the  Porta  Ovile  and  drive  out  the  French. 
But  this  was  discovered,  and  the  Captain  of  the 
people  and  two  priests  in  high  office  at  the  Duomo 
were  beheaded  as  the  chief  conspirators.  Early  the 
next  year,  the  King  of  France,  Henri  II,  sent  Piero 
Strozzi,  as  his  Vicar-General,  and  this  gave  Cosimo 
an  excuse  for  openly  attacking  the  city,  as  one  of  the 
conditions  of  the  last  peace  had  been  that  Siena  was 
to  receive  no  "  Fuorusciti,"  and  of  these  exiles  Strozzi 
was  one  of  the  most  notorious.  The  army  of  Florence 
now  joined  with  that  of  the  Emperor  under  the 
command  of  the  Marquis  of  Marignano  and,  on  the 
night  of  January  26,  1554,  suddenly  took  possession 
of  the  forts  outside  the  Porta  CamolKa.  This  was 
the  beginning  of  that  last  and  terrible  siege  in  which 
Siena  rivalled  the  splendid  heroism  which  Florence 
had  displayed  twenty-four  years  before ;  and  met 
the  same  fatal  end,  the  death  of  her  liberty.  During 
fifteen  months  of  suffering  and  desolation  for  the 
unfortunate  city,  the  war  was  carried  on  between 
France  and  Spain,  for  possession  of  the  gallant 
republic. 

Blaise  de  Montluc,  who  was  in  command  of  French 


COUNCIL  OF  TRENT  MOVED  229 

and  Swiss  troops,  could  not  speak  highly  enough  of 
the  spirit  of  the  people,  and  the  women  of  every 
class  who  worked  with  picks  and  shovels  to  help  in 
the  fortifications.  But  the  fortune  of  war  was  on 
the  side  of  the  Imperial  troops,  who  drove  back 
sorties  with  terrible  loss  to  the  besieged,  and  would 
not  suffer  the  "  useless  mouths  '' — crowds  of  women 
and  children  who  were  starving  in  the  city — to  pass 
through  their  lines.  As  time  passed  on,  the  situation 
became  desperate,  but  with  heroic  endurance  the 
people  held  out  until  the  food  was  actually  exhausted, 
and  the  citizens  of  Siena  at  last  surrendered  to  Duke 
Cosimo,  who  took  possession  in  the  name  of  the 
Emperor.  Of  the  40,000  inhabitants,  only  6,000 
remained  on  that  April  day  of  1555,  and  so  pitiful 
was  their  condition  that  even  the  soldiers  of  France 
were  moved  to  tears  at  the  sight  "  of  this  misery  and 
desolation  of  a  people  who  had  shown  themselves  so 
devout  for  the  conservation  of  their  liberty  and 
honour."  ' 

With  this  chronicle  of  heroic  courage,  we  must 
leave  the  last  great  Republic  of  the  Middle  Ages,  for 
her  fate  will  henceforth  cease  to  be  part  of  the  history 
of  Charles  V. 

^  See  "  Romance  of   a  Medici  Warrior  (Coaimo  II,   First  Orand 
Duke  of  Tuscany),"  by  Christopher  Hare. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

THE   "  INTERIM  "   PROPOSED   AT  DIET   OF   AUGSBURO 

Charles  V  at  the  height  of  his  power  and  success  in  1547 — The  "  In- 
terim "  suggested  as  a  means  of  conciHation  between  the  Pope  and 
the  Protestants — Alarm  in  Augsburg,  where  the  Diet  of  1.547  was 
flitting — War  of  Parma — Discord  between  Charles  and  Ferdinand 
concerning  the  succession  to  the  Empire — Suggestion  that  Philip 
should  succeed  his  uncle  Ferdinand. 

It  was  in  the  year  1547  that  Charles  V  may  be  said 
to  have  attained  the  very  height  of  his  power  and 
greatness.  He  had  successfully  asserted  his  su- 
premacy in  Germany ;  he  had  outlived  his  rivals 
Fran9ois  I  and  Henry  VIII,  his  two  most  important 
foes  in  Germany  were  his  captives,  he  had  overcome 
all  resistance  in  Spain,  and  his  Viceroys  were  dominant 
in  Italy.  It  seemed  as  though  there  had  never  been 
a  more  propitious  moment  to  carry  out  his  ideals. 
Like  his  grandfather  Maximilian,  Charles  was  at 
heart  a  visionary,  and  his  dream  had  long  been  to 
assemble  a  General  Council  with  supreme  power 
to  win  the  Lutherans  back  to  the  old  Faith,  and  to 
reform  the  Pope  and  the  Church.  Then  he  could 
look  forward  to  the  day  when  united  Christendom 
would  march  under  his  banners  against  the  Infidel, 
whom  he  would  utterly  conquer  and  would  himself  be 
crowned  in  Jerusalem. 

230 


THE  "  INTERIM  "  PROPOSED         231 

But  the  glorious  vision  was  never  to  be  realized  ; 
the  Emperor's  apparent  triumph  was  deceptive  and 
the  future  was  full  of  menace,  and  would,  in  the  end, 
overwhelm  him  in  a  sea  of  troubles.  Many  a  time 
had  he  been  warned  already  that  he  was  fighting 
against  the  tendencies  of  the  age.  In  vain  had  he 
hoped  for  Protestant  submission  to  the  Council  of 
Trent,  but,  ever  sanguine  of  ultimate  success,  he  was 
now  devoting  all  his  efforts  to  the  drawing  up  of  that 
famous  compromise,  the  "  Interim,"  which  he  fondly 
hoped  would  satisfy  alike  the  Pope  and  the  Lutherans, 
BO  that  henceforth  peace  would  rest  upon  the  troubled 
land. 

After  a  futile  discussion  by  a  mixed  committee, 
Charles  entrusted  the  great  work  to  three  chosen 
representatives,  Michael  H elding,  suffragan  Bishop 
of  Mainz,  of  high  Catholic  views,  Julius  von  Pflug 
the  Erasmian  Bishop  of  Naumburg,  and  John  Agricola 
a  moderate  Lutheran.  After  months  of  arduous 
diplomacy,  this  was  the  compromise  drawn  up,  under 
the  name  of  the  "  Interim."  The  use  of  the  cup  to 
the  laity  was  conceded,  also  clerical  marriage,  and  a 
modified  form  of  the  doctrine  of  "  Justification  by 
Faith."  Pflug  denied  some  of  the  powers  of  the 
Pope,  and  tried  to  explain  away  the  idea  of  the  Mass 
as  a  sacrifice,  to  satisfy  the  Lutherans,  but  the  seven 
Sacraments  were  retained,  also  the  worship  of  the 
Virgin  and  Saints,  fasts  and  processions  ;  while  the 
doctrine  of  transubstantiation  was  affirmed. 

When  in  this  form  the  Interim  was  proclaimed  as 
an  edict  on  May  15,  1548,  we  have  a  vivid  account  of 
the  result  at  Augsburg  by  an  English  Ambassador  at 


232  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

the  Court  of  Charles  V.     The  ministers  of  the  city 
refused  to  say  Mass  in  their  churches  : 

"  They  would  rather  offend  man  than  God,  and 
were  compelled  to  leave  the  city,  which  remained 
desolate.  In  most  of  the  shops,  people  were  seen  in 
tears  ;  a  hundred  women  besieged  the  Emperor's 
gates,  howling  and  asking  in  their  outcries  where  they 
should  christen  their  children  and  where  they  should 
marry  ?  For  the  churches  where  the  Protestants  did 
by  thousands  once  communicate  are  locked  up,  and 
the  people,  being  robbed  of  all  their  godly  exercises, 
sit  weeping  and  wailing  at  home.  .  .  ." 

There  was  no  unanimous  approval  in  the  Diet  of 
Augsburg,  which  had  been  sitting  for  some  months  ; 
and  the  College  of  Princes,  after  an  appeal  to  the 
Pope,  who  replied  that  *'  the  Emperor  had  nothing 
to  do  with  doctrine,'"  gave  their  definite  opinion 
that  *'  the  Interim  only  applied  to  Protestant  terri- 
tories." Charles  was  most  indignant  at  this  attempt 
to  ruin  the  whole  scheme,  and  he  did  his  utmost  to 
enforce  it.  The  Diet  of  Augsburg,  called  the  Armed 
Diet,  as  Charles  had  some  of  his  troops  with  him, 
lingered  on  without  much  result.  The  spread  of 
Lutheran  opinions  had  been  on  so  great  a  scale 
throughout  Germany,  that  if  the  Emperor  had  been 
like  Henri  IV,  without  religious  scruples,  he  would 
have  become  a  Protestant  himself.  But  instead  of 
buying  a  kingdom  with  a  Mass,  he  was  in  effect 
willing  to  lose  a  kingdom  for  a  Mass. 

Charles  had  in  his  mind  another  remedy  for  the 
troubles  of  the  Empire  ;  he  earnestly  desired  to  form 


THE  "INTERIM'^  PROPOSED         233 

a  league  of  all  the  German  States,  after  the  fashion 
of  the  Swabian  League.  This  had  been  brought  up 
before  the  Diet,  and  all  its  valuable  qualities  set 
forth,  but  both  princes  and  Electors  saw  that  it 
would  do  much  to  increase  the  Hapsburg  power,  and 
strongly  opposed  it ;  the  proposal  to  bring  the  subject 
before  a  committee  was  rejected  and  the  fate  of  the 
proposed  League  was  sealed.  But  Charles  was  more 
fortunate  in  securing  a  great  improvement  in  the 
Imperial  Chamber  of  Justice,  by  a  better  code  of 
principles  and  the  choice  of  judges  of  high  character. 
Indeed,  it  has  been  well  said  that  "  once  more,  after 
the  lapse  of  centuries,  the  Emperor  reappeared  as 
the  fount  of  German  justice."  If  he  had  failed  in 
his  struggle  for  religious  unity  throughout  the  Em- 
pire, at  least  it  must  be  conceded  that  he  was  the  only 
power  who  honestly  worked  for  conciliation.  He  had 
sought  as  a  peacemaker  to  put  an  end  to  the  theo- 
logical discord  which  had  wasted  the  resources  of 
Germany  for  a  generation.  His  foes  might  argue 
that  the  motive  of  Charles  was  not  religion,  but 
universal  rule  for  himself.  To  this  we  cannot  give 
a  better  answer  than  the  words  of  his  minister  Gran- 
velle  to  the  Venetian  ambassador  : 

"  There  are  certain  ill-disposed  persons  whose  con- 
stant talk  is  that  Caesar  is  bent  on  absolutism  and  the 
subjugation  of  Germany  ;  but  now  all  the  world  will 
realize  that  he  does  not  covet  the  property  of  others, 
and  that  he  will  not  take  for  himself  a  morsel  of 
Germany,  but  will  be  content  with  regulating  her 
disorders." 


234  A  GREAT  EMPEHOE 

An  alliance  had  already  been  arranged  between 
Maximilian  the  eldest  son  of  Ferdinand,  and  Mary 
the  elder  of  the  Emperor's  two  daughters,  who  had 
been  left  in  Spain.  It  was  now  decided  that  Maxi- 
milian should  travel  to  that  country  to  meet  his 
bride,  and  that  the  wedding  should  take  place  there 
in  order  that  the  young  Archduke  might  remain  as 
Regent  of  the  realm,  during  the  absence  of  Philip,  who 
was  to  join  his  father.  On  June  11  Maximilian  took 
leave  of  the  Court  and  set  forth  on  his  journey  to 
carry  out  the  arrangements  of  his  father  and  uncle. 
The  Emperor  remained  at  Augsburg  until  the  recess 
of  the  Diet  at  the  end  of  June,  and  on  July  12  he 
left  on  his  journey  towards  the  Netherlands,  pausing 
in  Bavaria  to  have  some  hunting  on  the  way.  He 
ultimately  arrived  at  Louvain  on  September  16,  and 
was  here  met  and  warmly  welcomed  by  his  sister  Marie, 
the  Governor  of  the  Netherlands.  They  travelled  on 
together  to  Brussels,  which  the  Emperor  made  his 
head-quarters,  and  where  the  Assembly  of  the  States 
of  the  Netherlands  met  on  the  25th.  This  was  a  very 
important  meeting,  for  there  were  matters  of  great 
importance  to  be  considered.  Early  in  November 
Charles  had  the  pleasure  of  receiving  the  widowed 
Queen  of  France,  Eleonore,  who  from  that  time  took 
up  her  abode  with  her  sister  Marie,  to  whom  she  was 
devotedly  attached. 

On  November  10,  1549,  Paul  III  died,  having  at 
length  been  persuaded  to  give  a  partial  assent  to  the 
Interim,  so  that  the  Roman  Catholic  princes  of 
Germany  could  not  entirely  oppose  it.  The  new 
Pope  Julius  III  seemed  disposed  to  be  friendly  to  the 


THE  "INTEEIM"  PROPOSED         235 

Emperor,  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  promised  to 
allow  the  Council  to  meet  again  at  Trent.     In  point 
of  fact,  his  chief  desire  was  to  have  a  peaceful  time 
and  enjoy  his  new  dignity  with  a  life  of  ease  and 
pleasure.     But  this   was   no   easy   matter  in  those 
troublous  days,  and  he  soon  found  himself  involved 
in  the  famous  war  of  Parma,  which  had  been  seized 
by  the  late  Pope's  grandson  Ottavio  Farnese,  the 
husband   of    Marguerite,    the    Emperor's   daughter. 
Julius  had  been  at  first  persuaded  to  acknowledge 
Ottavio    as   Duke,    but   he    soon   regretted    having 
alienated  property  which  he  might  have  kept  for 
the   Papacy,   and   commanded   that  Parma   should 
be  given  up  to  him  under  pain  of  excommunication. 
As  the  Pope  and  the  Emperor  were  then  to  some 
extent  alhes,  Ottavio  placed  himself  under  the  pro- 
tection of  Henri  II  of  France,  and  then  began  a  long 
and  tedious  war,  in  which  Ferrante  Gonzaga,  Viceroy 
of  Milan,  took  the  lead  on  the  side  of  the  Emperor. 
The   French   troops   assembled    at   Mirandola,    and 
Gonzaga    seized    Brescello    near   Parma,    from    the 
Cardinal  d'Este.     Giambattista  del  Monte,  the  nephew 
of  the  Pope,  who  was  in  command  of  the  Papal  army, 
was  ordered  to  join  forces  with  Ferrante  Gonzaga, 
against  the  Duke.     But  no  success  was  achieved,  for 
meantime  Bologna  had  been  attacked  by  the  French, 
and  help  having  arrived  for  the  Imperial  side  from 
Mirandola,  the  French  were  compelled  to  retreat. 
The  whole  country  had  been  ravaged  to  no  purpose, 
as  no  definite  result  was  obtained  for  the  moment. 

Charles  himself  was  chiefly  occupied  during  most 
of  the  year  1549  in  making  a  stately  tour  through  the 


236  A  GEEAT  EMPEROR 

Netherlands,  to  introduce  Ms  son  Philip  to  the  various 
cities  as  their  future  lord,  to  whom  they  were  called 
upon  to  pay  homage.  In  the  Itinerary  written  by 
the  Secretary  Vandenesse  we  have  full  particulars 
of  the  Imperial  progress  through  Louvain,  Brussels, 
Ghent,  Bruges,  Ypres,  Dunkirk,  St.  Omer,  Arras, 
Lille,  Valenciennes,  and  many  other  places.  The 
young  heir  was  everywhere  well  received,  for  under 
the  rule  of  Charles  the  trade  of  the  Netherlands 
flourished,  and  the  wealth  of  such  centres  as  Antwerp 
and  Amsterdam  increased  year  by  year  through  the 
connexion  mth  Spain  and  the  Indies.  But  beneath 
the  surface  of  this  prosperity  there  were  seeds  of 
trouble  which  were  destined  to  bear  fruit  in  the  coming 
reign  of  Phihp,  as  religious  causes  of  discord  were 
growing  with  the  increase  of  Protestant  teaching. 
For  the  present  there  was  peace  under  Charles,  who 
had  been  brought  up  in  the  country  and  was  looked 
upon  with  affection  as  a  grandson  of  the  beloved 
Marie  of  Burgundy.  But  Philip  was  a  Spaniard  and 
would  always  be  a  stranger  and  out  of  sympathy  with 
the  people  of  the  Netherlands.  Marguerite  of  Austria 
and  her  niece  Marie  were  wise  and  considerate 
governors  in  touch  with  their  subjects,  but  a  very 
different  class  of  rulers  was  destined  to  succeed  them 
in  the  future. 

The  Imperial  progress  had  ended  on  September  12, 
when  Prince  Phihp  received  the  homage  of  Antwerp, 
and  the  Emperor  returned  to  Brussels,  where  he  re- 
mained for  the  winter.  At  the  end  of  May  1550 
**  he  took  leave  of  Queen  Marie,  his  sister,  and  left 
Brussels  for  Germany  to  be  present  at  the  Diet.     The 


THE   "INTERIM"  PROPOSED         237 

Emperor,  wHle  passing  on  horseback  through  the 
principal  square,  turned  back  to  take  an  affectionate 
leave  of  the  people,  giving  strong  expression  to  his 
emotion  and  sorrow."  He  travelled  by  slow  degrees 
onwards  to  Germany  with  his  son,  received  with 
stately  hospitahty  wherever  he  broke  his  journey, 
until  he  reached  Augsburg  on  August  8,  his  brother 
Ferdinand  having  arrived  there  before  him.  Here  he 
had  the  sorrow  of  losing  his  faithful  friend  and 
minister,  Nicolas  Perronet  de  Granvelle,  his  com- 
panion for  so  many  years.  On  July  26  the  Diet 
opened,  but  it  cannot  be  considered  of  great  im- 
portance, as  it  was  almost  a  continuation  of  the 
previous  "  Armed  Diet."  The  long  absence  of  Charles 
in  the  Netherlands  had  not  been  favourable  to  his 
cause  ;  the  Roman  Cathohc  Reformation  had  been  a 
failure,  for  nobody  within  the  Church  wanted  to  be 
reformed,  and  all  the  vested  interests  were  against  it. 
The  Interim  was  defied  on  every  side ;  there  had 
been  many  promises  but  httle  performance  ;  in  some 
places,  such  as  Augsburg,  riots  had  broken  out ;  in 
others,  hke  Strasburg,  the  clergy  had  been  stoned. 
The  more  earnest  and  zealous  Lutheran  preachers  had 
fled  to  Switzerland  or  England,  and  there  were  not 
enough  to  take  their  place  amongst  those  who  had 
accepted  the  Interim.  The  proud  city  of  Magdeburg 
still  held  out,  after  having  defied  the  ban  of  the 
Empire  for  two  years,  and  it  was  not  hkely  that  the 
Diet  would  prove  subservient  in  the  way  of  money 
grants,  which  were  absolutely  needful  for  even  the 
defence  of  Germany. 
Another  matter  which  troubled  Charles  at  this 


238  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

period  was  the  question  of  the  succession  to  the 
Empire.  At  the  time  when  he  so  generously  obtained 
the  election  of  his  brother  Ferdinand  as  King  of  the 
Romans,  in  the  year  1531,  his  son  PhiHp,  born  the 
year  of  the  sack  of  Rome,  was  only  four  years  old. 
But  now  the  situation  was  changed ;  and  doubts 
crossed  his  mind  as  to  whether  he  had  wronged  his 
heir  by  depriving  him  of  the  chance  of  the  Empire. 
It  is  possible  that  he  felt  it  the  more  strongly  at  this 
time,  when  he  had  so  recently  made  a  triumphal 
progress  through  the  Netherlands,  and  had  every- 
where seen  Phihp  hailed  as  the  future  sovereign.  He 
began  to  have  great  hopes  of  his  son,  who  was  full  of 
courage  and  intelHgence,  and  he  was  tempted  to 
return  to  his  original  idea  that  the  whole  power  of 
the  Hapsburgs  should  remain  in  one  hand. 

He  had  spoken  of  this  subject  to  his  brother  before, 
but  now  he  made  a  definite  suggestion.  This  was 
that  the  Electors  should  be  persuaded  to  choose 
Philip  as  the  successor  of  Ferdinand.  But  Charles 
met  with  strong  and  unexpected  opposition  to  this 
plan,  which  the  King  of  the  Romans  looked  upon  as 
an  unjust  robbery  from  his  own  brilhant,  popular  son 
Mstximihan.  Ferdinand  forgot  how  much  Charles 
had  already  done  for  him  and  began  to  complain  of 
various  grievances.  He  had  not  yet  obtained  Wiirt- 
temberg  to  which  he  laid  claim,  and  he  had  not 
received  the  help  he  needed  to  recover  Transylvania. 
It  did  not  take  much  to  produce  a  quarrel  between 
two  brothers  who  had  not  been  brought  up  together 
as  children,  and  indeed  had  never  met  until  the 
arrival  of  Charles  in  Spain,  when  rival  poHticians  had 


THE  "INTERIM*'  PROPOSED         239 

encouraged  jealousy  and  suspicion  between  them. 
It  says  much  in  their  favour  that  they  had  since  been 
such  good  friends,  but  now  there  seemed  danger  of 
a  great  breach  in  their  harmony.  The  trouble  spread 
to  young  Maximihan,  who  was  at  this  time  acting  as 
Regent  in  Spain,  and  who  began  to  beUeve  that  he 
had  been  sent  away  to  give  PhiHp  a  better  chance. 
He  was  already  disappointed  that  he  had  not  received 
the  Netherlands  as  a  dowry  with  his  cousin  Mary, 
but  only  the  promise  of  a  sum  of  money  which  he  had 
not  yet  obtained.  He  refused  to  remain  any  longer 
in  exile,  and  we  find  that,  "  on  the  17th  of  October 
1550,  the  Cardinal  of  Trent  set  out  for  Genoa  to  meet 
the  Archduke  Maximihan,  who  was  returning  alone 
from  Spain."  * 

The  family  quarrel  was  becoming  a  serious  matter, 
and  when  Ferdinand  wrote  Charles  an  annoying 
letter,  repeating  that  "  he  owed  more  to  his  soul  and 
his  conscience  than  to  his  brother,*'  Charles,  almost 
in  despair,  implored  his  sister  Marie  to  com^e  and 
make  peace  between  them.  Although  tortured  with 
gout,  he  wrote  the  following  postscript  to  her  with  his 
own  hand. 

"  My  dear  Sister, 

"Gladly  would  I  have  written  this  whole 
letter  myself.  Although  I  might  plead  in  excuse 
that  much  writing  is  most  painful  with  my  gout,  I 
will  confess  .  .  .  that  the  strain  on  my  feehngs  and 
my  reason  have  been  more  than  I  could  endure.     I 

*  "  Itinerary  of  the  Emperor,"  by  Vandenesse. 


240  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

assure  you  that  never  in  the  past  or  present  have  I 
felt  anything  so  keenly  ...  as  I  have  felt  and  am 
feeling  my  brother^s  behaviour  to  me.  I  am  most 
touched  and  hurt  by  the  fact  that,  for  all  his  pro- 
fessions, I  cannot  trace  in  his  face  any  sign  of  shame 
or  repentance.  It  has  come  to  this,  that  my  only 
refuge  is  to  turn  to  God,  and  pray  Him  to  grant 
Ferdinand  good- will  and  understanding,  and  to 
myself  strength  and  patience,  in  the  hope  that  we 
may  one  day  be  in  harmony,  and  that  if  your  coming 
does  not  serve  to  convert  my  brother,  it  may  at  least 
serve  to  counsel  and  console  me  in  my  grief.  .  .  . 

"  Your  dear  brother, 

"  Charles.'* 

Marie  of  Hungary  was  touched  to  the  heart  by  this 
appeal ;  she  was  passionately  devoted  to  both  her 
brothers  and  understood  them  thoroughly,  for  while 
quite  agreeing  with  the  arguments  of  Charles,  she 
could  thoroughly  sympathize  with  Ferdinand.  The 
wise  sister  made  peace  between  them  as  no  one  else 
could  have  done  ;  and  a  compromise  was  settled  by 
which  Phihp  should  be  succeeded  in  the  Empire  by 
his  cousin  Maximihan,  and  they  should  both  be 
elected  at  the  same  time.  As  it  happened,  they 
might  have  spared  their  dispute,  for  nothing  would 
induce  the  Electors  to  Hsten  to  a  plan  which  would 
interfere  so  much  with  their  future  hberty.  In  fact 
the  German  princes  had  only  found  all  their  prejudices 
increased  by  the  arrival  of  Phihp.  They  saw  in  him 
a  typical  Spaniard,  dull,  proud,  reserved  and  un- 
gracious in  his  ways,  and  the  scattered  garrisons  of 


THE   "INTEKIM^^  PROPOSED  241 

Spanish  soldiers  in  Germany  had  already  taught  the 
people  to  hate  the  Spaniards  with  a  deadly  hatred. 

But  in  the  meantime  the  brothers  had  come  to  an 
amicable  arrangement,  and  Ferdinand's  secret  sus- 
picion, that  Phihp  might  be  placed  before  him  in  the 
succession,  was  laid  to  rest,  while  Charles  remained 
in  confident  expectation  that  his  wishes  would  be 
carried  out  in  the  future. 


16 


CHAPTER  XX 

TREACHERY  OF  MAURICE  OF  SAXONY — FLIGHT  OF 

CHARLES  V 

Charles  dictates  his  Memoirs — Treachery  of  Maurice  of  Saxony — 
The  Emperor  driven  to  flight  from  Innsbriick  across  the  Brenner 
to  Carinthia — Treaty  of  Passau — Battle  of  Sievershausen — Death 
of  Maurice — War  with  France — Death  of  Edward  VI,  1553 — 
Charles  arranges  the  marriage  of  his  son  Philip  with  Mary  of 
England,  another  ambitious  Hapsburg  alliance. 

In  this  personal  history  of  the  Emperor  Charles  V, 
a  new  light  is  thrown  upon  his  character  by  a  certain 
episode  of  this  year  1550.  Since  the  days  of  his 
childhood,  when  he  certainly  showed  no  love  of 
study,  we  have  had  no  occasion  to  refer  to  his  literary 
tastes.  But  in  fact,  Charles  is  said  to  have  been  an 
insatiable  reader,  chiefly  of  chronicles  and  romances 
of  chivalry,  while  he  called  the  "  Memoirs  of  Com- 
mines  "  his  breviary.  He  was  also  greatly  devoted 
to  the  Books  of  the  Maccabees,  Daniel,  and  Esdras, 
and  he  always  travelled  with  copies  of  Philo  and 
Josephus. 

On  his  journey  from  the  Netherlands  to  Augsburg, 
in  the  month  of  June  1550,  while  sailing  slowly  up 
the  Rhine,  Charles  suggested  to  his  faithful  attendant 
and  private  secretary  Guillaume  Van  de  Male,  that 
he  would  dictate  the  Memoirs  of  his  life,  from  the 
year  of  his  accession  to  the  throne  of  Castile,  1513, 

242 


TREACHEKY  OF  MAURICE  OF  SAXONY    243 

until  the  present  day.  He  had  "  kept  notes  of  all 
that  was  worthy  of  remembrance/'  During  five  days, 
from  June  14  to  18,  he  devoted  himself  to  this  work, 
which  he  appears  to  have  finished  later  in  the  year, 
during  his  stay  at  Augsburg.  It  is  worthy  of  notice 
that,  in  the  midst  of  constant  worries  and  anxieties, 
while  suffering  at  the  same  time  from  ill-health,  he 
should  have  found  relief  and  interest  in  this  auto- 
biography, which  shows  his  inmost  thoughts  and 
impressions,  reveals  his  feelings  of  indignation  to- 
wards his  rival  Fran9ois  I,  his  opinion  on  the  conduct 
of  Paul  III,  and  other  details  of  his  varied  life  and 
experience.  Perhaps  the  most  interesting  pages  are 
those  where  he  gives  a  full  account  of  his  campaigns 
in  1546  and  1547,  dwelling  upon  the  causes  of  the  war, 
showing  his  eager  spirit  and  courage,  the  intense 
interest  and  pleasure  which  he  takes  in  warlike 
manoeuvres,  and  his  ambition  to  acquire  military 
renown. 

To  these  Memoirs,  written  at  the  high- water  mark 
of  his  success,  we  have  already  alluded  on  various 
occasions,  and  shall  give  later  a  full  account  of  the 
manner  in  which  they  were  entrusted  to  his  son 
Philip,  and  the  fate  which  befell  them. 

As  the  year  1550  drew  towards  its  close,  the 
supremacy  of  the  Emperor  was  threatened  on  every 
side.  He  most  unwisely  attempted  to  force  the 
Interim  on  Magdeburg,  by  a  regular  siege,  and  it 
was  still  more  unfortunate  that  he  should  have 
entrusted  Maurice  of  Saxony  with  this  task.  The 
character  of  this  young  prince  may  be  somewhat  of 
an  enigma,  but  there  seems  little  doubt  that,  as  he 


244  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

had  already  betrayed  his  cousin  John  Frederick,  so 
now  on  undertaking  this  siege,  it  was  with  a  deeply 
laid  plan  of  treachery  towards  Charles.  He  had 
already  shown  himself  a  thoroughly  selfish  and  un- 
scrupulous man,  who  had  sacrificed  the  Protestant 
interests  for  his  own  purposes,  and  who  would  shrink 
from  nothing  to  satisfy  his  own  secret  and  ambitious 
plans.  History  accuses  him  of  craftily  deceiving  the 
Emperor,  and  while  professing  loyal  service,  of  acting 
as  his  most  deadly  enemy. 

The  siege  of  Magdeburg  was  allowed  to  linger  on 
from  November  1550  to  November  1551,  and  Maurice 
took  advantage  of  his  commission  to  spend  the 
Imperial  money  in  collecting  strong  mercenary  forces 
under  his  sole  authority,  while  he  privately  bargained 
to  add  the  garrison  of  Magdeburg  to  his  army.  He 
made  secret  agreements  with  North  German  Princes, 
and  on  October  5,  1551,  he  signed  a  convention  with 
France  against  the  Emperor,  whom  he  was  lulling 
into  false  security  with  artful  promises.  The  coming 
of  Henri  II  of  France  into  the  league  was  a  most 
serious  matter,  for  he  was  well  supplied  with  money 
and  soldiers.  He  was  at  that  time  cruelly  perse- 
cuting the  French  Protestants,  so  that  he  could 
scarcely  call  it  a  religious  war,  but  he  declared  himself 
the  champion  of  German  liberty,  and  in  the  Treaty  of 
Chambord,  January  1552,  he  promised  a  monthly 
subsidy  and  an  immediate  attack  upon  Lorraine. 
In  return  he  was  promised  the  Imperial  bishoprics  of 
Toul,  Metz,  and  Verdun,  the  keys  of  Lorraine.  This 
treaty  had  been  signed  by  Maurice  and  his  allies, 
William  of  Hesse  and  John  Albert  of  Mecklenburg. 


TREACHEEY  OF  MAURICE  OF  SAXONY    245 

Meantime  Charles  was  at  Innsbruck,  devoting  his 
attention  to  the  Council  of  Trent,  two  days'  journey 
distant,  which  Julius  III  had  summoned  on  May  1, 
1550.     The  Emperor  was  extremely  anxious  to  have 
a  large  and  representative  body  of  Protestant  divines, 
and  he  sent  safe-conducts  to  a  large  number  in  the 
different  States.    Melanchthon  agreed  to  attend,  and 
travelled  as  far  as  Niiremberg,  but  then  changed  his 
mind  ;   other  Lutherans  were,  however,  sent  by  their 
princes.     Many  Spanish  bishops  arrived,  the  three 
ecclesiastical  Electors   from  Germany,    and  several 
bishops,   together   with   theologians   from   Louvain 
University.    The   Papal   Legate   and   some   Italian 
bishops  were  there  to  support  the  Pope's  views,  and 
the  Bishop  of  Verdun  from  Lorraine,  but  the  French 
Church  was  quite  unrepresented,  as  Henri  II  pro- 
tested  against  a  Council   held  in  a  German  city. 
Probably   very   few   besides   Charles   expected   any 
satisfactory  result  in  the  way  of  religious  peace.     One 
side  was  dependent  for  very  livelihood  on  the  con- 
tinuance of  old  abuses,  while  the  other  side  insisted 
upon  thorough  reform  throughout  the  Church.     The 
Roman  party  with  the  Legate  at  their  head  privately 
resolved  that  nothing  should  be  settled,   and  by 
roundabout    means   they   succeeded.      We   cannot 
wonder  that  the  Lutherans  complained  loudly  that 
this  was  not  the  open,  tolerant  Council  which  they 
had  been  promised,   and  that  Charles  felt  deeply 
disappointed  with  both  parties. 

Before  February  1522  the  Electors  and  the  Bishops 
were  leaving  with  various  excuses,  and  on  March  5 
the  Emperor  gave  permission  for  the  Council  to  be 


246  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

suspended  for  two  years,  and  after  some  warm 
debates  this  was  settled,  at  the  very  time  when  the 
Pope  made  peace  with  Ottavio  Farnese,  who  was 
under  the  protection  of  France,  and  thus  became 
openly  hostile  to  the  Empire.  Charles  was  now 
threatened  with  dangers  on  every  side,  and,  beyond  a 
small  guard,  he  was  himself  absolutely  unprotected 
at  Innsbriick,  for  he  had  sent  away  his  3,000  Spanish 
soldiers  ;  partly  to  fight  the  Turks  in  Hungary,  and 
the  rest  to  help  Julius  III  in  the  war  of  Parma. 

Still,  it  cannot  be  said  that  he  was  not  warned,  for 
his  sister  Marie  of  Hungary  had  written  to  him  again 
and  again,  in  the  strongest  language.  She  had  long 
been  convinced  of  the  treachery  of  Maurice  of  Saxony, 
and  as  early  as  October  1551  she  had  told  him  of  the 
conspiracy  with  other  German  princes  and  with 
France ;  she  had  implored  him  not  to  listen  to  false 
excuses  ;  she  had  insisted  that  if  her  brother  did  not 
act  immediately,  he  would  lose  not  only  Germany, 
but  the  Netherlands,  and  in  March  1552  she  had 
finally  protested :  "  This  incredulity,  this  refusal  to 
believe  our  warnings,  may  cost  you  very  dear.'* 
Ferdinand  had  also  written  to  express  his  alarm  and 
suspicion,  and  by  this  time  the  ministers  of  Charles 
were  becoming  awake  to  the  danger.  In  the  letters 
of  the  younger  Granvelle,  Bishop  of  Arras,  to  Queen 
Marie,  we  learn  that  Charles  was  in  ill-health  at  this 
time,  in  a  state  of  languor  and  depression  which 
affected  his  mind  and  body. 

He  had  other  causes  of  anxiety  besides  the  trouble 
in  Germany  ;  the  rebellion  of  his  son-in-law  Ottavio 
Farnese  was  a  heavy  blow,  and  he  was  greatly  dis- 


TREACHERY  OF  MAURICE  OF  SAXONY    247 

turbed  by  the  news  from  England.  There  was  a 
rumour  that  the  young  King  Edward  VI  was  to 
marry  the  French  princess  Elisabeth,  and  the  perse- 
cution of  Mary  roused  such  indignation  in  her  cousin 
the  Emperor,  that  he  would  have  made  war  against 
England  in  her  defence,  had  it  been  possible.  But 
all  his  military  power  was  engaged  elsewhere ;  a 
war  of  exhaustion  was  going  on  in  Transylvania, 
where  Ferdinand  could  scarcely  hold  his  own.  The 
Sultan  had  begun  to  give  trouble,  for  his  pirate 
captains  had  ravaged  the  southern  coasts,  attacked 
Malta,  and  carried  away  the  population  of  Gozo  as 
slaves.  Elated  with  success,  they  had  then  sailed  on 
to  Africa,  and  forced  the  Knights  Hospitallers,  the 
sea-guards  of  Christendom,  to  capitulate  at  Tripoli, 
in  August  1551. 

Disaster  threatened  on  every  side.  The  widowed 
Christina  of  Denmark,  the  Emperor's  niece,  had  been 
driven  out  of  Lorraine  by  the  French  King,  who 
carried  off  her  young  son  Charles  as  a  hostage  to  Paris. 
Henri  II  had  then  proceeded  to  take  Toul  and  Metz, 
and  marched  on  to  Strassburg,  where  strong  re- 
sistance was  offered.  At  the  same  time,  Maurice  of 
Saxony  threw  off  his  mask  and  openly  published  a 
manifesto  against  the  Emperor.  His  ally,  Albert 
Alcibiades  of  Brandenburg-Culmbach,  did  the  same 
in  much  stronger  language,  and  after  the  proclamation 
of  war,  the  two  princes,  with  an  army  of  30,000  men, 
marched  upon  Augsburg,  where  they  were  welcomed 
by  the  democracy,  while  the  garrison  fled. 

With  his  enemies  only  two  days'  journey  distant, 
Charles  was  at  length  roused  to  action,    He  made  up 


248  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

his  mind  to  escape  to  the  Netherlands  on  May  6,  and 
left  behind  a  letter  to  his  sister  Marie  in  which  he  says  : 

"  The  road  to  the  Netherlands  is  closed  for  an 
army,  or  even  for  my  household.  .  .  .  My  health  is 
not  equal  to  the  journeys  I  have  been  wont  to  take  .  . . 
yet  as  I  must  either  risk  great  disgrace  or  great 
danger,  I  choose  this  last,  since  it  is  in  the  hands  of 
God.  .  .  .  Thus  I  have  resolved  to  start  to-night  for 
the  Netherlands.  ...  I  would  sooner  die  or  sufier 
captivity  in  doing  my  utmost,  than  live  any  longer  in 
dishonour.  .  .  /' 

Charles  set  forth  at  midnight  with  only  six  at- 
tendants, but  next  day  he  found  the  road  was  blocked, 
his  health  broke  down,  and  he  secretly  returned 
prepared  to  face  the  worst.  However,  on  the  evening 
of  May  19,  news  reached  him  that  the  pass  at  Ehren- 
berg,  his  last  defence,  had  been  taken  by  storm,  for 
the  men  had  scrambled  over  the  rocks  commanding 
the  blockhouses  ''  like  so  many  chamois.'*  But  a 
mutiny  in  the  Elector's  camp  gave  Charles  a  few 
hours'  start,  and  he  fled  from  Innsbriick,  in  the  com- 
pany of  John  Frederick  of  Saxony,  to  whom  he  gave 
his  freedom.  They  fled  across  the  Brenner  in  driving 
rain  and  snow,  the  Emperor  being  carried  in  a  Htter. 
The  torches  were  blown  out  by  the  gale,  the  Httle 
party  was  utterly  exhausted,  and  some  of  the  baggage 
mules  were  lost.  At  length  they  arrived  at  Bruneck, 
where  the  inn  was  short  of  food,  and  with  great  efforts 
reached  Villach  in  Carinthia,  where  for  the  moment 
the  fugitives  were  safe  from  pursuit.    It  was  indeed 


TREACHERY  OF  MAURICE  OF  SAXONY    249 

an  ignominious  flight  for  the  great  Emperor  so  lately 
the  arbitrator  of  Europe,  thus  barely  to  escape  from 
a  young  Elector  of  his  own  making  at  the  head  of 
an  insignificant  army. 

The  Council  of  Trent  was  broken  up  in  alarm,  the 
Fathers  of  the  Church  decUning,  as  they  said,  to  argue 
on  questions  of  rehgion  with  armed  soldiers.  An 
engagement  had  already  been  made  with  Ferdinand 
for  a  congress  with  the  German  princes,  and  they  met 
at  Passau  from  May  26  to  August  2.  The  chief 
articles  of  the  treaty,  to  which  Charles  felt  compelled 
to  agree,  were : 

**  That  a  Diet  should  be  held  to  settle  reUgious 
disputes  within  six  months,  and  meantime  both  sides 
should  agree  not  to  interfere  with  each  other's  re- 
hgion; the  admission  of  Protestants  as  members  of 
the  Imperial  Chamber,  the  security  of  the  Protestants 
to  be  provided  for,  and  both  parties  to  forgive 
injuries  done  in  the  war." 

Charles  was  now  thoroughly  roused,  and  in  a  fine 
warhke  temper  he  set  forth  in  defence  of  Lorraine, 
while  Maurice  consented  to  join  the  army  of  Ferdinand 
in  defence  of  Hungary. 

The  Emperor  had  at  once  prepared  for  war  with 
the  greatest  vigour  ;  he  sent  orders  to  Phihp  for  men 
and  money  from  Spain,  Marie  sent  all  she  could  raise 
in  the  Netherlands,  and,  now  that  the  war  of  Parma 
was  over,  there  were  the  Itahan  forces  at  his  dis- 
posal. As  his  army  gathered  round  him,  he  became 
once  more  the  eager-spirited  general,  and  decided  to 
advance  at  once,  although  it  was  already  October, 


250  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

and  to  besiege  Metz,  the  key  of  Champagne  and 
Lorraine. 

All  this  time  Albert  Alcibiades  had  been  ravaging 
the  country  on  his  own  account  with  20,000  lawless 
soldiers,  until  he  had  become  a  danger  ahke  to  friend 
and  foe  and  was  put  under  the  ban.  But  Charles 
thought  it  a  pity  to  waste  good  fighting  material, 
and  he  accepted  the  advances  of  Albert,  who  had  been 
refused  as  an  ally  by  the  French.  There  may  have 
been  good  mihtary  reasons  to  welcome  an  addition  to 
his  forces,  but  this  alhance  with  a  wild  freebooter  was 
a  serious  pohtical  mistake,  which  aUenated  the  best 
of  the  German  princes. 

Charles  was  keenly  aware  of  the  false  position  in 
which  he  had  placed  himself,  for  he  thus  laments  in 
a  letter  to  his  sister :  "  God  knows  what  I  feel  at 
finding  myself  brought  so  low  as  to  treat  with  the 
said  Marquis,  as  I  am  now  doing ;  but  necessity 
knows  no  law."  Albert  Alcibiades  appears  to  have 
been  a  typical  Hohenzollern,  it  is  curious  to  note : 
'*  the  most  unscrupulous  robber  that  recent  German 
history  had  known."  '  His  troops  were  certainly 
useful  in  the  siege  of  Metz,  but  the  city  was  so  ably 
defended  with  an  inner  fine  of  earthworks,  that  the 
Emperor  could  not  induce  his  men  to  storm  the  place. 
The  weather  was  terribly  cold  and  wet  there  in  the 
swamps  of  the  Moselle,  and  the  soldiers  died  of  sick- 
ness and  famine,  until  at  length  by  New  Year's  Day 
the  siege  was  raised  in  time  to  prevent  a  fresh  attack 
from  the  invading  French  army.  After  this  failure, 
which  was  very  bitter  to  him,  the  Emperor's  health 

*  Armstrong. 


TREACHERY  OF  MAURICE  OF  SAXONY    251 

failed,  and  it  seemed  as  though  his  fighting  days  were 
over.  But  in  April  fortune  smiled  upon  him  once 
more  and  he  was  fortunate  enough  to  take  the  city 
of  Terouenne  on  June  6,  a  gem  in  the  crown  of  France, 
by  a  sudden  and  brilliant  feat  of  arms. 

The  next  success  in  this  campaign  of  1553  was  in 
August,  when  the  gallant  young  Emanuel  Philibert 
of  Savoy  took  the  city  of  Hesdin,  and  captured  the 
old  enemy  of  Charles,  Robert  de  la  Marck,  who  had 
so  long  opposed  him.  The  French  King  now  thought 
it  time  to  invade  the  Netherlands  in  person,  and 
marched  upon  Cambray,  when  Charles,  notwithstand- 
ing his  ill-health,  set  out  from  Brussels  to  join  his 
army,  and  was  in  sight  of  Mons  and  the  French  army, 
when  Henri  II  retreated,  and  soon  after  the  two 
armies  were,  in  the  usual  way,  disbanded  for  the 
winter. 

The  Emperor  soon  had  good  reason  to  regret  his 
alhance  with  Albert  Alcibiades,  who  now  returned 
to  his  brigand  habits,  carrying  fire  and  sword  through 
the  Franconian  cities,  the  sees  of  Wurzburg  and 
Bamberg,  and  the  people  of  Niiremberg.  His  robber 
warfare  had  made  him  enemies  on  every  side,  who 
now  turned  against  him,  and  he  was  thoroughly 
defeated  in  the  battle  of  Sievershausen  on  June  9, 
1553.  Here  Maurice  of  Saxony,  who  led  the  attacking 
forces,  was  killed;  and  after  all  the  trouble  he  had 
himself  given,  we  are  surprised  to  hear  that  he  was 
only  thirty-two.  Albert  fled  to  France,  and  ulti- 
mately died  in  exile  in  1557.  We  thus  take  leave  of 
two  notorious  characters  in  the  history  of  Germany. 
But  the   death   of  Maurice   did   not   restore  John 


252  A   GREAT  EMPEROR 

Frederick  of  Saxony  to  his  rights,  for  the  Saxon 
Electorate  passed  to  Augustus,  the  brother  of  Maurice, 
and  the  rightful  lord,  who  had  been  so  unjustly 
treated,  died  within  the  year,  of  grief  and  disappoint- 
ment. Of  him  Roger  Ascham  writes,  that  "  he  was 
one  in  all  fortunes  desired  of  his  friends,  reverenced 
of  his  foes,  favoured  of  the  Emperor,  loved  of  all/' 
And  another  writer  proclaims  him  as  "  the  example 
of  constancy  and  very  mirror  of  true  magnanimity 
in  these  our  days  to  all  princes." 

The  next  event  of  importance  in  1553  was  the  death 
of  Edward  VI,  on  July  6,  and  for  a  brief  period  the 
succession  seemed  in  doubt.  But  Charles  had  every 
confidence  in  the  triumph  of  his  cousin  Mary,  and  he 
at  once  grasped  the  idea  of  another  splendid  llapsburg 
marriage :  his  son  Phihp  should  marry  the  Queen  of 
England.  He  was  reminded  that  he  had  been 
betrothed  to  her  himself  in  1521,  and  it  was  suggested 
that  as  the  Princess  was  now  thirty-seven  years  of 
age  she  would  be  a  more  suitable  wife  for  himself 
than  for  Philip,  who  was  only  six- and- twenty.  But 
the  Emperor  had  resolved  never  to  marry  again,  and 
he  wrote  to  his  ambassador  in  England  : 

"If  we  were  of  suitable  age  and  health,  and  we 
thought  it  would  be  to  her  advantage,  there  is  no 
aUiance  in  the  world  that  we  should  prefer  to  a  mar- 
riage with  the  Queen.  Our  health,  however,  is  such . . . 
that  it  would  seem  a  very  poor  compliment  to  offer 
our  own  person.  .  .  .  You  know,  moreover,  the  resolve 
which  we  long  ago  formed  to  remain  in  our  present 
condition.  ..." 


TREACHEKY  OF  MAURICE  OF  SAXONY  253 

After  the  death  of  his  beloved  Isabel,  he  had  vowed 
never  to  marry  again. 

It  is  true  that  arrangements  were  already  being 
made  for  a  marriage  of  his  son  with  another  younger 
cousin,  Maria  of  Portugal,  the  daughter  of  Queen 
Eleonore,  but  her  brother  John  III  had  delayed  it, 
not  to  lose  her  immense  dowry  from  Portugal.  This 
was  now  set  aside,  and,  in  order  not  to  lose  the  close 
aUiance  with  Portugal,  Charles  offered  his  younger 
daughter  Juana  as  a  bride  for  Prince  Juan,  the  eldest 
son  of  King  Joao  III  of  Portugal,  who  had  married 
Catahna,  the  youngest  sister  of  the  Emperor.  This 
marriage  took  place,  but  the  young  princess  had  but 
a  brief  taste  of  wedded  life,  for  her  husband  died 
within  a  year,  and  when  Juana  had  given  birth  to 
her  son  Sebastian,  now  heir  to  the  throne  of  Portugal, 
the  young  widow  left  him  to  the  care  of  his  grand- 
parents, and  hastened  back  to  Spain,  the  old  home 
on  which  all  her  affections  were  fixed.  She  was 
passionately  devoted  to  her  father,  and  also  to  his 
unhappy  mother  Juana,  whom  she  constantly  visited 
and  watched  over  with  affectionate  sympathy  to  the 
end.  We  shall  find  her  later  taking  up  the  responsi- 
bihty  of  Regent  of  Spain,  during  the  foreign  visits 
of  her  brother  Philip,  after  her  father's  abdication. 

Charles  thoroughly  understood  that  there  would 
be  opposition  in  England  to  the  Spanish  marriage, 
chiefly  amongst  the  Protestants.  He  wrote  most 
interesting  letters  of  advice  to  Mary  at  this  critical 
moment.  He  advised  her  to  appeal  to  her  people, 
in  a  full  and  free  Parhament,  and  she  must  show  her 
tolerance  to  contradict  the  plea  of  her  enemies  that 


254  A  GEEAT  EMPEROR 

**  true  reKgion  was  at  stake/'  Above  all  he  advised 
her  to  be  "  une  bonne  Anglaise,"  and  show  her 
patriotism,  and  he  wished  her  to  be  very  cautious 
in  making  changes  in  favour  of  the  Cathohc  Church. 
Any  untimely  zeal  and  severity  would  be  most 
dangerous  for  the  popularity  of  the  marriage.  The 
great  point  which  the  Emperor  pressed  was  the  very 
important  advantage  of  a  close  connection  between 
England  and  the  Netherlands,  whose  commerce  was 
so  valuable.  He  even  suggested  to  his  son  that  an 
arrangement  might  be  made  for  an  heir  of  Phihp  and 
Mary  to  inherit  England  and  the  Netherlands,  while 
Don  Carlos,  the  son  of  his  first  marriage,  might  have 
the  Spanish  and  Itahan  possessions. 

The  wedding  ceremony  took  place,  after  all  the 
negotiations  were  ended,  in  July  1554,  at  the  Cathedral 
Church  of  Winchester ;  and  when  it  was  concluded, 
proclamation  was  made  of  the  future  titles  of  Phihp 
and  his  bride  :  "  King  and  Queen  of  England,  France, 
Jerusalem,  and  Ireland,  Defenders  of  the  Faith, 
Princes  of  Spain  and  Castile,  Archdukes  of  Austria, 
Dukes  of  Milan,  Burgundy,  and  Brabant,  Counts  of 
Hapsburg,  Flanders  and  the  Tyrol,  etc." 

In  the  marriage  treaty  Philip  had  agreed  to  every 
suggestion  made  by  the  English  Parliament,  and  it 
was  solemnly  sworn  that  no  foreigner  should  interfere 
in  the  government  of  England.  On  the  part  of 
Philip,  it  was  of  course  no  marriage  of  inclination, 
but  one  solely  of  policy  and  ambition  to  which  he 
sacrificed  his  own  personal  feelings.  But  to  Charles 
it  was  a  matter  of  deep  satisfaction,  as  in  a  way  a 
method  of  atonement  for  his  having  been  able  to 


TREACHERY  OF  MAURICE  OF  SAXONY    255 

accomplish  so  little  on  behalf  of  his  unfortunate 
aunt  Queen  Katharine,  for  whom  his  sympathy  and 
affection  had  passed  on  to  her  daughter  Mary.  The 
gloom  which  hangs  over  the  future  of  this  ill-fated 
marriage  is  more  one  of  personality  than  of  circum- 
stance, when  we  consider  the  respective  characters 
of  both  Philip  and  Mary. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

DIET  OF  AUGSBURG — ABDICATION  OP  CHARLES  V 

Diet  of  Augsburg,  1555 — Inconclusive  and  unsatisfactory  religious 
peace — Death  of  Julius  III — Pope  Paul  IV  makes  a  League  with 
France — Fortune  of  war  with  Charles  V,  who  takes  Picardy  and 
makes  peace  with  Henri  II — Conquest  of  Guelders — Death  of 
Queen  Juana — Charles  goes  through  a  solemn  abdication  of  the 
Netherlands  on  behalf  of  his  son,  October  22,  1555 — He  also 
resigns  the  Grand-Mastership  of  the  Order  of  the  Golden  Fleece, 
and  of  Santiago,  Calatrava,  and  Alcantara,  to  Philip. 

The  Diet  of  Augsburg  which,  after  many  delays,  was 
at  length  opened  by  Ferdinand  on  February  5,  1555, 
marked  alike  the  failure  of  the  policy  of  conciliation 
and  the  close  of  the  actual  reign  of  Charles  in  Germany. 
Conscious  of  personal  failure  in  spite  of  his  high  ideals, 
and  suffering  from  increasing  ill-health,  he  had  placed 
the  responsibility  of  this  Diet  upon  his  brother,  as 
though  he  felt  the  sceptre  already  drop  from  his  hand. 
In  the  long  Conference  which  followed,  the  main 
principle  was  to  demand  religious  peace  at  any  price. 
But  the  Lutherans,  who  were  in  strong  force,  insisted 
upon  too  much,  for  they  wished  complete  toleration 
and  every  legal  obstacle  to  the  spread  of  their  doctrine 
to  be  removed,  while  they  would  allow  no  such 
privileges  to  Catholics  in  Lutheran  territories.  To 
this    their   opponents    would   not  consent,   and  the 

266 


ELEONORE   OF  AUSTRIA,    SISTER   OF   CHARLES   V. 
Mus6e  Condi,  Chantilly. 


256] 


DIET  OF  AUGSBURG,  1555  257 

struggle  continued  for  months.  It  was  suggested 
that  each  secular  Prince  should  choose  his  own  re- 
ligion, and  his  decision  was  to  bind  all  his  subjects. 
In  the  end  peace  was  granted,  with  various  reserva- 
tions, and  was  to  be  permanent.  But  in  reality,  only 
a  truce  was  concluded,  because  both  sides  were  tired 
of  fighting,  and  the  so-called  Peace  of  Augsburg 
published  at  the  end  of  the  Diet,  September  25,  1555, 
rested  on  false  grounds,  although  this  futile  conclusion 
after  forty  years  of  conflict  has  been  spoken  of,  with 
some  foundation,  as  the  "  birth  of  religious  liberty.'* 

The  whole  Council  had  been  like  a  bad  dream  to 
the  Papacy.  Julius  III  died  while  it  was  sitting,  in 
March  1555,  when  all  his  thoughts  were  engaged  in 
adding  fresh  beauties  to  his  Villa  di  Papa  Giulio, 
near  the  Porta  del  Populo,  by  which  he  is  chiefly 
remembered.  His  successor,  Marcello  II,  was  a  Pope 
of  blameless  life,  and  zealous  for  reform,  but  he  only 
lived  three  weeks  after  his  election,  and  was  followed 
by  the  stern  Caraf!a,  Paul  IV,  who  at  once  showed 
himself  the  ruthless  foe  of  the  Emperor.  The  new 
Pope  had  in  his  earlier  days  been  a  member  of  the 
famous  "  Oratory  of  Divine  Love,'"  a  company  of 
pious  men,  many  of  them  of  advanced  religious  views. 
He  now  looked  with  suspicion  on  all  his  old  com- 
panions, and  by  his  means  most  of  them  were  brought 
under  the  ban  of  the  Inquisition,  a  tragic  roll-call  of 
noble  and  devoted  men.^ 

The  fierce  and  resolute  old  Pope — he  was  seventy- 
nine  at  his  election — now  at  once  made  a  league  with 

^  See  "  Men  and  Women  of  the  Italian  Reformation,"  Christopher 
Hare. 

17 


258  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

France  in  order  to  drive  out  Charles  from  Naples 
and  Milan,  and  to  deprive  the  Emperor's  ally,  Duke 
Cosimo  dei  Medici,  of  Florence  and  its  territories. 
But  the  Imperial  position  in  Italy  had  been  greatly 
strengthened  by  the  capture  of  Siena  after  its  long 
and  heroic  defence,  although  a  few  of  its  defenders 
with  some  of  the  French  garrison  still  held  the  hill 
city  of  Montalcino.  The  fortune  of  war  was  also 
on  the  side  of  Charles  in  the  fight  for  Corsica,  where 
the  French  were  defeated  by  the  gallant  Andrea 
Doria  and  his  Genoese  fleet,  supported  by  Spanish 
troops. 

All  these  successes  prepared  the  way  for  peace  with 
France,  which  would  make  it  possible  for  the  Emperor 
to  carry  out  his  long-desired  plan  of  abdication. 
Born  at  the  beginning  of  the  century,  February  24, 
1500,  Charles  had  endured  the  heavy  burden  of 
empire  from  his  early  years — we  can  scarcely  call  it 
his  childhood,  for  in  fact  he  never  had  one.  From 
the  time  of  his  father's  death,  which  made  him 
nominal  King  of  Spain,  as  a  boy  of  barely  seven  years 
old,  he  had  attended  every  Council  of  State,  and 
had  been  strictly  trained  for  his  high  position.  His 
reign  had  been  one  long  struggle  to  carry  on  the 
dynastic  policy  of  his  race ;  and  having  accomplished 
all  that  was  in  his  power,  his  desire  was  now  to 
consolidate  his  possessions  and  to  ensui'e  their  con- 
tinuance to  his  heir.  There  still  remained  certain 
tasks  before  him,  of  which  the  most  pressing  was  to 
check  the  aggressions  of  the  new  Pope  against  his 
friends,  for  Paul  IV  had  inexcusably  taken  possession 
of  the  Colonna  dominions.    He  wrote  to  his  am- 


DIET  OF  AUGSBUEG,  1555  259 

bassador  at  Venice  that  he  had  sent  an  ambassador 
to  His  Holiness,  to  point  out, "  with  all  gentleness  and 
humility,"  the  bitter  complaints  which  he  had  to 
make.  He  could  not  allow  his  allies  and  subjects  to 
be  oppressed,  and  "  if  the  furious  behaviour  of  His 
Holiness  is  continued,  we  shall  hold  ourselves  free 
towards  God  and  the  world,  and  not  responsible  for 
the  misfortunes  which  may  follow/' 

One  supreme  satisfaction  remained  to  Charles,  that 
he  had  been  able  to  close  his  military  career  with 
some  measure  of  personal  triumph  and  success.  The 
last  time  he  was  in  the  field,  when  the  French  were 
advancing  on  Namur,  the  Emperor,  refusing  to  listen 
to  any  cautious  advice,  led  his  army  at  the  utmost 
risk  to  defend  this  important  place.  Sir  John  Mason, 
the  English  envoy,  wrote  that  he  showed  the  same 
reckless  courage  which  he  had  done  in  Algiers  and 
elsewhere,  and  then  the  envoy  became  eloquent  on 
"  the  courage  and  skilfulness  of  Charles  V  in  entering 
Namur,  a  town  of  no  great  strength  but  most  im- 
portant for  checking  the  enemy's  advance,  against  the 
advice  and  persuasion  of  all  his  captains."  On  that 
occasion,  Henri  II,  finding  his  advance  checked, 
hastily  retreated,  leaving  Picardy  in  the  hands  of 
his  enemies. 

Another  event  of  importance  had  occurred  which 
finally  left  Charles  free  to  carry  out  his  purpose  of 
abdication.  On  April  13  of  this  year  1555,  the 
unfortunate  Queen  Juana,  his  mother,  had  passed 
away  at  Tordesillas,  after  her  long  widowhood  and 
sad  affliction  of  forty-nine  years.  Her  youngest 
daughter  Catalina  had  been  her  constant  companion 


260  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

until,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  the  princess  was 
married  to  Joao  III  King  of  Portugal,  in  1524.  In 
later  years,  her  granddaughter  Juana,  the  younger 
daughter  of  Charles  V,  showed  great  kindness  and 
affection  for  the  afflicted  Queen,  until,  by  a  curious 
coincidence,  she  too  was  snatched  away  by  a  Portu- 
guese marriage  with  Don  Juan,  the  only  surviving 
son  of  Catalina.  But  after  barely  a  year  of  married 
life,  the  young  Juana  returned  to  Spain,  leaving  her 
infant  son,  born  a  fortnight  after  his  father's  death, 
to  the  care  of  her  aunt  Catalina.  She  was  thus  able 
to  watch  over  the  last  months  of  her  grandmother's 
life,  and  by  her  loving  care,  the  Padre  Borja,  a  devoted 
priest  and  friend  of  Charles  V,  was  able  to  soothe 
and  comfort  the  dying  Queen,  who  passed  away  in  her 
right  mind,  full  of  hope  and  peaceful  confidence  in 
her  God. 

This  happy  end  was  a  great  comfort  to  Charles, 
who  had  been  much  troubled  by  his  mother's  unhappy 
state  and  her  repugnance  to  all  religious  feeling  when 
in  her  fits  of  mania  and  despondency.  He  had 
always  been  full  of  care  and  affection  for  her,  as  we 
see  by  the  many  letters  preserved  ^ ;  he  paid  her 
frequent  visits  when  in  Spain,  and  always  went  to 
see  her  before  leaving  the  country  and  immediately 
after  his  return.  After  his  mother's  death,  he  wore 
moui'ning  until  the  end  of  his  life. 

As  it  was  in  the  Netherlands  that  Charles  began 
his  reign,  it  was  there  that  he  took  the  first  step 
towards  ending  it.  It  was  the  land  of  his  birth  and 
of  all  his  early  memories,  and  of  his  vast  dominions 

^  "  Vita  de  Juana  la  Loca,"  Rodriguez  Villa. 


DIET  OF  AUGSBUEG,  1555  261 

it  was  the  one  which  had  proved  most  loyal  to  him. 
The  Low  Countries  had  been  well  and  wisely  governed 
under  the  rule,  first  of  his  aunt  Marguerite,  then  of 
his  sister  Marie,  both  of  whom  were  of  the  same 
nationality  as  the  people  and  full  of  sympathy  and 
understanding  for  their  wants.  Thus  in  time  of  war 
with  France,  knowing  the  absolute  importance  of 
peace  for  their  fisheries  and  their  trade,  they  had 
often  been  able  to  arrange  a  separate  truce.  As 
King  of  Spain  and  lord  of  the  Indies,  Charles  had  been 
able  to  give  great  assistance  to  their  foreign  commerce, 
and  it  was  in  his  reign  that  Antwerp  rose  to  the  first 
rank  as  a  trading  city.  She  may  almost  be  said  to 
have  taken  the  place  of  Venice  as  Queen  of  the  sea. 
Another  point  for  which  the  Emperor  deserved 
the  gratitude  of  the  Netherlands  was  that  he  succeeded 
in  obtaining  for  them  internal  peace  in  the  place  of 
constant  and  harassing  civil  war.  The  greatest 
offender  was  Charles  of  Egmond,  Duke  of  Guelders, 
whose  constant  aggressions  made  the  life  of  the 
Regent  Marguerite  a  burden  to  her,  as  we  have  already 
seen  in  the  constantly  repeated  complaints  in  her 
letters.  Charles  of  Egmond  was  irrepressible  to  the 
last,  for  he  could  be  bound  by  no  treaty,  and  when 
his  end  was  drawing  near  he  conceived  the  desperate 
plan  of  leaving  his  estates  to  France.  But  the 
Estates  declared  against  this  treachery,  and  when 
the  old  Duke  died  in  1558  they  elected  the  heir  of 
the  Duke  of  Cleves.  We  wonder  whether  Charles  of 
Egmond  ever  remembered  those  far  other  days,  when 
he  was  present  at  the  wedding  of  Maximilian  with 
Marie  of  Burgundy,  1477,  where  he  and  his  sister 


262  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

carried  torches  before  the  bride.  It  was  when  the 
young  prince  fought  under  Maximilian  that  he  was 
taken  prisoner  by  the  French  King  and  lured  away 
from  his  allegiance,  to  a  lifetime  of  rebellion. 

The  newly  elected  lord  of  Guelders,  William  the 
brother  of  Henry  VIII's  Queen  Anne  of  Cleves,  did 
not  long  keep  the  duchy  to  which  Charles  had  a  lawful 
claim,  and  his  sister  the  Regent  Marie  implored  him 
to  assert  it  at  once.  The  Emperor  temporized  for  a 
time  and  then  tried  to  press  his  rights  by  diplomacy  ; 
but  William  of  Cleves  disregarded  the  Treaty  of 
Gorkum  which  gave  Charles  as  Duke  of  Brabant  the 
reversion  of  Guelders  and  Zutphen  and  persisted  in 
his  usurpation  with  help  from  the  French.  How- 
ever, he  was  utterly  defeated  in  1543,  and  the  dis- 
puted provinces  became  part  of  the  Netherlands, 
completing  the  full  number  of  seventeen  provinces, 
some  purchased  and  others  conquered,  but  now  one 
compact  whole.  Thus  was  peace  assured  under  one 
ruler,  and  an  end  of  destructive  civil  war,  although 
one  source  of  discord  was  not  entirely  removed.  We 
have  not  space  to  dwell  upon  the  great  ecclesiastical 
territories,  ruled  by  their  rich  fighting  Bishops,  who 
were  capable  of  disturbing  the  peace  of  the  land. 
To  some  extent  they  were  remodelled  by  the  Em- 
peror, but,  in  so  far  as  he  failed  to  carry  out  his  designs 
there  remained  dark  forebodings  of  religious  strife 
in  the  days  to  come. 

It  was  only  in  the  Netherlands  that  Charles  went 
through  a  solemn  formal  abdication.  On  October  22, 
1555,  he  made  his  first  renunciation  by  resigning  the 
Grand-Mastership  of  the  Order  of  the  Golden  Fleece. 


DIET  OF  AUGSBURG,  1555  263 

The  most  illustrious  of  the  knights  of  that  Order 
being  assembled,  he  bestowed  the  insignia  and  the 
power  of  the  Grand  Master  on  his  son  Philip,  saying 
to  him  :  "I  now  make  you  chief  and  sovereign  of 
the  most  noble  Order  of  the  Fleece  of  Gold  ;  keep  it 
and  maintain  it  in  dignity  and  honour,  even  as  I,  my 
father,  and  my  ancestors  have  kept  and  maintained  it. 
May  God  give  you  grace  to  do  so  in  all  increase  and 
prosperity !  "  He  then  called  upon  the  knights  to 
serve  his  son  faithfully,  and  on  his  son  to  love  and 
honour  the  knights  who  had  been  the  valiant  com- 
panions of  his  wars,  the  steadfast  support  of  his 
States,  and  to  whom  he  bore  a  singular  affection  on 
account  of  the  zealous  assistance  he  had  ever  received 
from  them  in  all  his  need  and  perils.  .  .  . 

Three  days  later,  the  knights  of  the  Golden  Fleece, 
the  ambassadors,  and  a  company  of  other  important 
nobles  assembled  in  the  great  hall  of  Brussels,  hung 
with  the  famous  tapestries  of  Gideon,  which  was 
filled  in  the  background  by  the  deputies  of  the 
Province  in  serried  rows,  to  the  number  of  a  thousand. 
Here  the  Emperor  arrived  with  his  sister  Queen 
Marie,  and  his  son,  followed  by  Eleonore,  Queen  of 
France,  Christina  of  Lorraine,  the  Duchess  of  Savoy, 
and  the  Prince  of  Orange,  and  they  took  their  seats 
under  a  lofty  dais  on  the  western  side  of  the  stately 
hall. 

After  a  speech  of  introduction  by  the  Privy  Coun- 
cillor, there  was  breathless  silence  until  Charles 
addressed  the  great  assembly,  speaking  from  his 
notes,  as  he  stood  before  them  leaning  on  the  shoulder 
of  the  Prince  of  Orange.    He  told  how  forty  years 


264  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

before,  in  this  very  hall,  the  Emperor  Maximilian  his 
grandfather  had  declared  his  minority  at  an  end 
when  he  had  reached  the  age  of  fifteen.  The  next 
year.  King  Ferdinand  had  died,  the  father  of  his 
dearly-loved  mother,  and  she,  being  by  her  infirmity 
unable  to  rule  by  herself,  he  had  been  obliged 
to  go  to  Spain  to  help  her.  Soon  after,  his  grand- 
father Maximilian  also  passed  from  this  life,  and  he 
became  a  candidate  for  the  Empire,  not  from  ambi- 
tion, but  in  the  interests  of  his  dominions,  and  in 
order  to  devote  all  his  strength  to  the  defence  of 
Christendom  against  the  Turk,  and  the  growth  of 
the  Christian  religion.  .  .  . 

"  My  life  has  been  one  long  voyage.  Nine  times 
have  I  been  to  Germany,  six  times  to  my  Spanish 
realm,  seven  times  to  Italy,  and  the  Netherlands  I 
have  visited  ten  times ;  four  times  have  I  entered 
France,  twice  have  I  crossed  over  to  England,  and 
again  twice  to  Africa  ;  and  in  order  to  accomplish  all 
this,  my  navies  have  taken  me  eight  times  across  the 
Mediterranean  and  three  times  across  the  Ocean.  .  .  . 
This  time  will  be  the  fourth  voyage,  to  end  my  days 
in  Spain.  .  .  ." 

Then  he  went  on  to  speak  of  the  great  anxieties  of 
his  reign,  of  all  the  wars  in  which  he  had  taken  part, 
alluding  with  a  touch  of  pride  to  his  final  success  in 
Picardy.  He  spoke  of  his  faiHng  health,  he  was 
weary  of  the  heavy  burden  of  Empire,  and  his  son 
had  now  reached  man's  estate. 

"  I  commend  him  to  you  ;   render  to  him  the  love 


DIET  OF  AUGSBURG,  1555  265 

and  obedience  which  you  have  always  shown  towards 
me.  ...  Be  ever  united  amongst  yourselves,  uphold 
justice  and  maintain  the  laws.  ...  I  may  have  made 
mistakes  in  my  government  .  .  .  but  I  dare  affirm 
that  never  with  my  consent  has  any  wrong  been  done 
to  any  of  my  subjects.  If  any  one  can  justly  com- 
plain of  having  suffered,  I  bear  witness  that  it  has 
been  without  my  knowledge,  I  declare  before  all  the 
world  that  I  regret  it  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart, 
and  I  implore  those  present,  as  well  as  those  who  are 
absent,  to  forgive  me.'' 

The  Emperor  next  turned  towards  his  son  with 
great  tenderness,  and  called  upon  him  to  defend  the 
faith  of  his  ancestors  and  to  rule  his  subjects  in  peace 
and  justice.  Then  no  longer  able  to  stand  from 
fatigue,  his  voice  trembling  with  emotion,  he  sank 
back  on  his  seat.  He  had  been  listened  to  in  deathhke 
silence,  hiding  a  depth  of  emotion  which  broke  forth  as 
the  speech  came  to  an  end.  We  are  told  by  one  who 
was  present  on  this  solemn  occasion  that  "  the  hearts 
of  all  were  touched  by  the  words  of  the  Emperor ; 
many  wept  and  others  sobbed  aloud,  while  the  pre- 
vailing deep  feeling  was  shared  by  the  sisters  of  the 
Emperor  and  those  around  him,  while  for  myself, 
my  face  was  bathed  with  tears."' 

After  the  Pensionary  of  Antwerp  had  made  a 
speech  on  behalf  of  the  Estates,  expressing  their 
grief  at  losing  a  prince  so  much  endeared  to  them, 
Philip  knelt  before  his  father,  declaring  himself 
unworthy  of  so  great  an  honour.  He  then  received 
the  investiture  in  due  form,  and  the  Bishop  of  Arras 


266  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

addressed  the  great  company  present  on  behalf  of 
Philip,  whose  knowledge  of  French  was  not  good 
enough  to  do  so  himself.  It  next  came  to  the  turn 
of  Marie,  Queen  of  Hungary  and  Regent  of  the  Nether- 
lands, to  announce  her  resignation  of  the  high  ofhce 
which  she  had  held  for  nearly  twenty-five  years, 
since  the  death  of  her  aunt  Marguerite.  Her  brother 
Charles  spoke  once  more  to  thank  her  warmly  for  her 
valuable  services,  which  h«  deeply  regretted  that 
she  should  feel  called  upon  to  resign.  The  Pensionary 
replied  with  high  praise,  and  expressed  the  feeling  of 
love  and  gratitude  which  her  people  had  felt  for  her. 
The  meeting  was  then  closed. 

The  solemn  transmission  of  the  Netherlands  from 
Charles  V  to  his  son  Philip  II  was  completed  the 
next  day  by  a  written  agreement,  signed  by  the  hand 
of  the  Emperor  and  made  known  to  all  the  provinces. 
At  the  same  time  and  in  the  same  hall,  all  the  deputies 
swore  allegiance  to  their  new  King,  who  also  on  his 
side  vowed  faithfully  to  observe  their  laws,  to  respect 
their  customs,  and  to  maintain  their  privileges.  He 
also  appointed  as  their  Governor  his  cousin  Duke 
Emanuel  Philibert  of  Savoy.  No  one  could  foresee 
that  ten  years  later  Philip  would  break  away  from 
his  father's  principles  of  government,  in  a  manner  so 
tragic  for  his  subjects  in  the  Netherlands  and  so 
disastrous  for  himself. 

The  abdication  of  the  Netherlands  and  Franche- 
Comte  was  followed  a  few  months  later  by  other 
resignations,  carried  out  more  simply  and  with  less 
pomp.  On  January  16,  1556,  the  Emperor  gave  up 
the  Kingdoms  of  Castile,  of  Aragon,  of  Sicily  and  all 


DIET  OF  AUGSBURG,  1555  267 

their  dependencies,  to  Prince  Philip,  who  received 
them  with  much  the  same  formula  as  the  first  gift. 
iVU  the  documents  concerning  these  resignations  were 
drawn  up  with  the  most  minute  care,  and  signed  by 
all  the  representatives  of  the  countries  concerned,  and 
the  same  motives  were  given  as  in  the  case  of  the 
Netherlands.  In  the  solemn  deed,  amongst  other 
things,  Charles  declares  that — 

"  As  a  King  who  recognizes  no  temporal  superior, 
and  who  anticipates  his  death,  I  renounce  in  favour 
of  you  my  eldest  son  the  Kingdoms  and  Lordships 
of  Castile  and  Leon,  of  Granada  and  Navarre,  of  the 
Indies,  of  the  islands  and  Terra-Firma  of  the  Ocean ; 
also  the  Grand-Masterships  of  Santiago,  of  Calatrava, 
and  of  Alcantara,  of  which  we  have  the  perpetual 
administration,  by  virtue  of  Apostolic  authority.  .  .  ." 

This  deed  of  gift  was  made  known  at  once  to  all  the 
countries  concerned,  for  the  Emperor  wrote  to  all  the 
prelates  and  all  the  nobles,  and  gave  command  that 
in  all  the  cities  flags  should  fly  and  all  solemnities 
be  carried  out  as  when  a  new  sovereign  is  proclaimed. 
He  also  sent  word  to  his  daughter  the  Infanta  Juana, 
who  was  confirmed  in  the  regency  of  Philip,  that  she 
should  see  to  the  proclamation  being  everywhere 
made.  We  have  an  account  of  the  proceedings  in 
Valladolid  where  the  Infant  Don  Carlos,  aged  eleven, 
preceded  by  the  King-at-arms,  and  followed  by  all 
the  members  of  the  Councils,  himself  inaugurated  the 
sovereign  authority  of  his  father.  On  a  great  raised 
platform,  in  the  Plaza  of  Valladohd,  he  unfurled  the 


268  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

royal  standard,  and  raised  it  with  his  childish  hand 
with  the  help  of  his  tutor  and  his  majordomo,  while 
the  people  joined  in  the  national  cry  :  "  Castile  ! 
Castile  for  King  Philip  our  lord  !  " 

After  his  abdication  of  Spain,  the  Emperor  wrote  a 
touching  letter  to  his  old  friend  Andrea  Doria,  the 
sea  lord  of  Genoa  and  the  Mediterranean.  He  deeply 
regretted  not  being  able  to  meet  him  once  more,  and 
begged  him  to  serve  Phihp  with  the  same  courage 
and  devotion  as  he  had  shown  to  himself.  He  also 
repeated  the  assurance  of  his  warm  friendship  and 
gratitude  for  the  past,  and  expressed  earnest  wishes 
for  his  health  and  happiness,  Charles  never  forgot 
any  of  his  old  friends,  and  at  this  solemn  moment  of 
his  fate  he  sent  for  Ferrante  Gonzaga  to  take  leave 
of  lum,  as  well  as  other  devoted  servants  of  the 
Empire,  to  whom  he  was  deeply  attached. 


CHAPTER   XXII 

THE  LAST  JOUKNEY  OF  CHAKLES  V 

Last  daya  of  the  Emperor  in  Brussels — He  takes  leave  of  his  daughter 
Marie  and  her  husband  Maximilian — He  selects  his  suite  for  Yuste : 
Luis  de  Quijada,  Guillaume  Van  Male,  Doctor  Mathys,  and  others 
— His  final  parting  from  his  son  Philip  at  Ghent — Charles  takea 
his  last  journey  to  Spain,  where  his  sisters  El^onore  and  Marie 
follow  him — He  visits  his  daughter  Juana  at  Valladolid  and 
travels  on  to  Jarandilla  in  the  Valley  of  Plasencia,  where  he 
■pends  the  winter. 

When  Charles  had  resolved  to  carry  out  his  design  of 
abdication,  he  left  the  royal  palace  of  Brussels,  in 
order  to  take  up  his  abode  in  a  small  house  in  the 
park  of  Brussels,  then  an  outlying  part  of  the  wild 
forest  of  Soigne,  where  he  had  spent  much  of  hia 
childhood,  and  which  was  full  of  memories  for  him  ; 
now  a  kind  of  half-way  dwelling  between  a  palace  and 
a  monastery.  This  pavihon  consisted  of  only  one  story 
and  a  few  rooms  and  stood  near  the  Louvain-gate, 
where  the  national  palace  of  Belgium  has  since  been 
built.  Here  the  Emperor  hved  for  some  months, 
engaged  in  making  his  final  arrangements,  and  suffer- 
ing much  from  ill-health.  It  was  here  that  the 
Emperor  received  the  French  envoys,  amongst  whom 
was  the  Admiral  de  Cohgny,  to  witness  the  ratification 

269 


270  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

of  the  Truce  of  Vaucelles,  in  his  character  as  Emperor, 
a  dignity  which  he  had  not  yet  resigned.  The  French 
ambassador  found  him  in  a  room  hung  with  black, 
wearing  a  citizen's  gown  of  black  serge,  and  sitting 
at  his  writing-table,  in  the  midst  of  the  most  simple 
surroundings.  He  was  in  mourning  for  his  mother, 
and  everything  around  him  was  of  the  same  sombre 
hue. 

When  the  French  King's  letter  was  given  to  him, 
it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  Charles  managed  to 
break  the  seal  with  his  fingers  distorted  by  gout. 
Turning  to  the  Admiral  with  a  pathetic  smile,  he  said  : 
"  What  will  you  tliink  of  me  ?  Am  I  not  a  gallant 
knight  to  break  a  lance,  I  who  can  scarcely  break 
open  a  letter."  In  this  truce  the  Emperor  had  taken 
the  greatest  interest,  as  he  trusted  that  it  would  be 
an  important  step  towards  leaving  Ms  dominions  as 
a  peaceful  inheritance  to  his  son. 

Charles  was  still  Emperor,  for  both  Ferdinand  and 
his  sister  Marie  had  implored  him  to  wait  for  his  resig- 
nation until  a  suitable  moment  when  Ferdinand  could 
ensure  his  succession.  The  journey  to  Spain  appears 
to  have  been  delayed  partly  on  this  account  and  also 
from  reasons  of  ill-health.  Charles  was  careful  to 
give  Ferdinand  all  his  imperial  authority,  although 
the  final  resignation  was  not  carried  until  a  short  time 
before  his  death.  It  was  the  fiery,  passionate  old 
Pope,  Paul  IV,  who  gave  the  most  trouble  at  this  time. 
He  had  such  an  exaggerated  idea  of  his  Papal  au- 
thority that  he  declared  he  had  the  right  to  depose 
any  sovereign  in  Europe,  and  his  abuse  of  the  Em- 
peror was  more  virulent  than  any  Lutheran  had  ever 


THE  LAST  JOUENEY  OF  CHARLES  V     271 

dreamt  of.  Unfortunately,  Paul  did  not  confine 
himself  to  words,  but  used  his  utmost  efforts  to  drive 
the  Spaniards  out  of  Italy  which  he  once  more  made 
a  battlefield. 

Charles  was  disappointed  in  his  hope  of  a  personal 
farewell  from  his  brother  Ferdinand,  to  whom  he 
wrote  most  affectionate  letters,  but  who  was  unable 
to  leave  his  comphcated  duties  in  Germany.  How- 
ever, the  Emperor  was  cheered  by  the  coming  of  his 
nephew  Maximihan  and  his  daughter  Mary,  who 
came  to  Brussels  and  spent  a  fortnight  with  him. 
His  next  step,  in  preparation  for  his  departure,  was 
to  select  a  certain  number  of  his  most  devoted  friends 
and  attendants  to  share  his  seclusion.  The  most 
important  was  Luis  de  Quijada,  his  Chamberlain,  who 
had  been  his  close  companion  for  thirty-four  years, 
having  come  to  him  as  a  young  page,  and  having 
followed  him  in  all  his  wars,  where  he  had  fought 
bravely  by  his  master's  side.  It  is  from  his  constant 
letters  and  memoirs  that  we  have  the  fullest  and 
most  trustworthy  account  of  the  last  years  of  Charles. 
This  faithful  and  devoted  Castihan,  who  had  at  once 
the  greatest  admiration  and  the  most  profound 
attachment  for  Charles,  was  to  be  the  head  of  the 
little  colony  at  Yuste,  where  it  was  his  task  to  pre- 
serve the  etiquette  of  a  Court  with  the  diseiphne  of  a 
regiment. 

We  have  already  had  occasion  to  allude  to 
Van  Male,  who  had  the  privilege  of  writing  down 
from  dictation  the  Emperor's  Memoirs,  during  that 
memorable  voyage  on  the  Rhine.  Van  Male  had 
entered  his  service  in  1550,  as  attendant,  and  from 


272  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

that  time  became  absolutely  indispensable  to  his 
master,  by  his  keen  intelhgence  as  well  as  his  untiring 
devotion.  He  seems  never  to  have  left  Charles  by 
night  or  day,  he  read  aloud  to  him  during  the  long 
sleepless  hours,  and  was  always  ready  to  listen  to  his 
memories  of  the  past  and  his  wishes  for  the  present. 
At  Yuste  his  services  were  not  only  comforting,  but 
indispensable. 

The  Emperor  took  with  him  a  young  doctor,  Henri 
Mathys,  an  intelligent  and  pleasant  companion,  and 
also  a  distinguished  ItaHan  mechanician,  Giovanni 
Torriano,  as  head  clockmaker,  with  assistants  under 
him.  These  are  some  of  the  most  interesting  members 
of  the  selected  suite.  A  certain  number  of  nobles, 
who  were  intimate  friends,  were  to  accompany  the 
Emperor  as  far  as  the  monastery  of  Yuste. 

It  was  not  until  August  8,  1556,  that  Charles  at 
last  set  forth  from  Brussels,  with  his  son  PhiHp,  who 
accompanied  him  as  far  as  Ghent  and  there  took 
leave  of  him— for  ever.  He  then  travelled  on  with 
his  tw^o  sisters,  Eleonore  of  France  and  Marie  of 
Hungary,  who  were  now  inseparable  and  who  had 
decided  to  follow,  into  his  last  seclusion,  the  brother 
to  whom  they  were  so  devoted.  Passing  down  the 
canal  from  Ghent  they  reached*  the  sea  where  a  fleet 
of  fifty-six  ships  awaited  them.  On  September  17 
Charles  sailed  from  Flushing  on  his  last  voyage.  His 
sliip  was  the  Bertendona,  and  his  sisters  followed 
with  their  suite  in  the  Faucon.  An  Enghsh  fleet 
joined  them  near  Portland  and  escorted  them  as  far 
as  the  coast  of  Brittany,  from  whence  they  had  a 
good  voyage  to  the  port  of  Laredo.     The  imperial 


THE  LAST  JOUENEY  OF  CHARLES  V     273 

cabins  appear  to  have  been  built  on  deck,  and  the 
bed  was  hung  from  the  ceihng  to  be  independent  of 
the  waves.  The  Emperor  seems  to  have  arrived  at 
Laredo  before  he  was  expected,  and  the  necessary- 
arrangements  for  his  reception  were  not  ready ;  but 
as  soon  as  the  news  reached  the  Princess  Juana,  she 
hastened  to  send  the  sums  required  for  the  payment 
of  the  fleet,  and  provisions  of  all  sorts  for  her  father's 
table. 

It  was  a  slow  and  tedious  journey,  as  the  Emperor 
could  only  travel  by  easy  stages,  on  account  of  his 
health.     On  the  level  ground  he  was  carried  in  a 
horse-htter,  but  when  he  had  to  cross  the  mountain 
path  of  the  great  Sierra  which  divides  the  woods  and 
pastures  of  Biscay  from  the  broad  plains   of  Old 
Castile,  he  was  borne  by  two  men  in  a  chair.    By 
his  side  rode  Luis  Quijada,  on  whose  care  the  arrange- 
ments for  this  difficult  journey  all  depended.     The 
rest  of  his  attendants  followed  on  horseback,  while 
the  two  Queens,  his  sisters,  travelled  also  in  horse- 
htters  a  day's  journey  behind,  as  it  would  have  been 
impossible  to  find  night  accommodation  for  so  large 
a  party  together.     On  the  fourth  day  Charles  reached 
Medina  de  Pomar  on  the  southern  slope  of  the  moun- 
tains, and  here  he  rested  for  a  day.     In  the  minute 
account  which  we  have  of  this  journey  it  is  curious 
to  note  that  almost  everywhere  Charles  was  met  with 
a  plentiful  supply  of  choice  provisions.     This  was  an 
attention  which  he  thoroughly  appreciated,  for  he 
was  a  true  Fleming  and  had  the  appetite  of  his  country 
and  also  of  his  period,  as  those  who  have  studied  the 
bills  of  fare  of  Tudor  sovereigns  will  appreciate.    In 
18 


274  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

the  Emperor's  case,  this  taste  for  good  living  was 
most  unfortunate,  with  his  hereditary  disposition  to 
gout. 

In  spite  of  the  Emperor's  wish  for  a  quiet  journey, 
here  at  Medina,  as  later  at  Burgos  and  Valladohd,  the 
nobles  and  councillors  crowded  to  do  him  homage. 
He  continued  his  journey  across  a  bleak  table-land  for 
several  days,  until  he  reached  the  undulating  heaths 
and  oak-woods  wliich  led  to  the  ancient  city  of 
Burgos.  Here  the  Constable  of  Castile  met  the 
Imperial  party  with  hospitable  offers,  and  the  cathe- 
dral bells  rang  a  peal  of  welcome,  while  the  two  days 
spent  at  Burgos  were  hke  a  perpetual  levee  of  noble 
visitors. 

It  was  October  16  when  Charles  set  forth  on  his 
way,  first  along  a  deep  valley  by  the  right  bank  of 
the  river  Arlanzon,  whose  broad  shallows  often 
spread  across  the  road.  Passing  onwards  through 
the  vineyards  and  orchards  of  Torquemada,  he  took 
six  days  of  short  journeys  to  reach  Valladohd,  the 
prosperous  capital  of  the  Spanish  realm,  where  he 
was  received  in  the  court  of  the  splendid  palace  by 
his  daughter  Juana,  the  Regent,  and  his  grandson, 
Don  Carlos,  a  boy  of  eleven,  whom  he  had  never  met 
before  this  coming  to  Spain.  It  is  interesting  to  note 
that  Charles  does  not  seem  to  have  been  favourably 
impressed  by  the  boy,  who  soon  revealed  the  sullen 
and  passionate  temper  which  kept  him  in  constant 
rebelhon  against  his  aunt  Juana.  She  had  found  it 
impossible  to  control  his  mischievous  and  cruel 
tastes,  and  it  was  already  feared  that  he  had  inherited 
the  mental  tendencies  which  cast  so  deep  a  shadow 


THE  LAST  JOURNEY  OF  CHARLES  V     275 

over  the  life  of  Queen  Juana  the  mother  of  the 
Emperor.  It  was  at  this  time  that  Charles  remarked 
to  his  sister  Eleonore :  "It  seems  to  me  that  he  is 
very  excited ;  his  face  and  his  temper  do  not  please 
me,  and  I  do  not  know  what  he  may  become  in  time/' 
This  seems  almost  a  premonition  of  the  unfortunate 
boy's  tragic  fate. 

At  Valladolid,  amongst  his  many  visitors,  Charles 
specially  welcomed  the  Prior  of  Yuste,  and  the 
General  of  the  Order  of  St.  Jerome,  Fray  Francisco 
de  Tofino,  with  whom  he  made  thoughtful  arrange- 
ments about  the  music  of  his  chapel.  Tofiiio  had 
specially  chosen,  amongst  all  the  monasteries  of  his 
Order,  monks  who  were  most  distinguished  by  their 
beautiful  voices  in  order  that  they  might  form  part 
of  his  choir  at  Yuste.  The  Emperor  had  always 
been  a  passionate  lover  of  music  and  in  all  his  journeys 
he  was  always  accompanied  by  his  choristers  and 
their  organ,  which  was  even  taken  on  the  Tunis 
expedition.  We  are  told  that  he  could  always  detect 
a  false  note  among  his  singers,  and  he  was  so  accom- 
plished a  musician  that  he  was  able  to  point  out 
plagiarisms  in  a  Mass  composed  for  him.  This  love 
of  music  was  always  a  great  bond  of  sympathy  between 
himself  and  his  elder  sister. 

During  the  fortnight  which  he  spent  at  Valladolid, 
Charles  had  long  and  serious  conversations  with  his 
daughter  the  Regent,  on  the  afiairs  of  the  kingdom. 
He  wished  to  give  her  the  benefit  of  his  parting  advice, 
so  he  said — but,  in  point  of  fact,  he  continued  to 
take  the  deepest  interest  in  all  that  happened,  and 
every  post  brought  despatches  from  him  at  Yuste 


276  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

with  more  words  of  counsel,  so  long  as  he  was  able  to 
dictate  them.  He  was  a  very  good  judge  of  character, 
and  he  could  not  have  chosen  a  better  head  of  the 
government  than  Juana,  during  her  brother's  absence. 
After  her  brief  married  life  of  only  thirteen  months 
and  her  sad  widowhood,  she  had  vowed  never  to 
marry  again,  and  had  left  her  infant  son  Sebastian, 
who  as  presumptive  heir  could  not  leave  Portugal,  to 
obey  her  father's  request.  Her  Court  was  governed 
with  a  monastic  spirit ;  she  did  not  encourage 
marriage  amongst  her  ladies,  but  was  willing  that 
they  should  enter  the  convent  la  Scala  Coeli  of 
Abrojo,  where  she  was  wont  herself  to  retire  at 
intervals  for  prayer  and  meditation,  until  after  her 
father's  death,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three,  she  was 
able  to  found  a  religious  House  of  her  own. 

It  was  as  late  in  the  year  as  November  4  when  the 
Emperor  left  Valladolid  after  taking  an  affectionate 
farewell  of  his  daughter,  and  of  his  sisters  who  were 
to  follow  him  later.  By  slow  marches,  he  arrived  on 
the  11th  at  the  little  village  of  Tornavacas,  at  the 
foot  of  a  narrow  pass  which  led  over  the  mountain  to 
the  Vera  de  Plasencia ;  this  he  decided  to  cross  the 
next  morning,  rather  than  take  a  round  of  four  days* 
journey  by  the  road  to  Plasencia.  It  was  a  rough, 
difficult  climb,  and  seemed  almost  impossible  for  an 
invalid,  for  the  rocky  path  was  torn  up  by  mountain 
torrents  ;  there  were  deep  crevasses  and  very  sharp 
ascents.  But  Charles  persisted ;  a  number  of  peasants 
from  the  valley  were  sent  on  with  picks  and  shovels  to 
smooth  the  way,  while  the  bearers  took  it  by  turns 
to  carry  him  in  a  climbing  chair  or  on  their  shoulders. 


THE  LAST  JOUBNEY  OF  CHARLES  V     277 

The  faithful  Quijada  was  by  the  Emperor's  side,  never 
leaving  him  while  he  directed  the  operations. 

At  length  the  summit  was  reached  from  whence  the 
glorious  view  of  the  Vera  de  Plasencia  was  outspread 
before  him,  on  which  he  gazed  for  a  while  in  silence, 
then  turning  towards  the  gorge  which  he  had  just 
ascended,  he  said  :  "  Non  passare  ya  otro  en  mi  vida, 
sino  el  de  la  muerte."  ("I  shall  not  cross  another 
pass,  save  that  of  death.") 

The  downward  path  was  easier  than  the  climb 
uphill,  and  Charles  arrived  in  good  time  at  Jarandilla 
below  in  the  valley,  where  he  took  up  his  abode  in 
the  country  house  of  the  Count  of  Oropesa,  until 
such  time  as  his  own  dwelling  at  Yuste  would  be  ready 
for  him.  His  room  had  a  sunny  aspect  opening  on  a 
covered  gallery,  where  he  spent  much  of  his  time,  as 
he  had  a  pleasant  and  extensive  view  of  fruit  trees 
and  undulating  green  meadows,  while  immediately 
below  him  was  a  garden  planted  with  orange  and 
lemon  trees,  and  full  of  flowers.  It  was  now  the 
middle  of  November  and  the  weather  soon  became 
cold  and  stormy,  the  rain  falling  all  day  long,  and 
Yuste  on  its  wooded  hill-side  seemed  to  be  always 
shrouded  in  a  thick  damp  mist.  His  attendants 
began  to  be  very  gloomy,  as  they  were  sure  the  damp 
and  constant  mist  could  not  possibly  suit  their  master. 
Quijada  wrote  to  the  Regent  that  there  fell  more  rain 
in  an  hour  in  that  valley,  than  in  a  whole  day  at 
Valladolid.  The  sisters  of  Charles  became  anxious 
about  his  choice  of  an  abode,  but  Charles  would 
listen  to  no  complaints.  He  had  chosen  the 
Monastery  of  Yuste  and  there  he  would  go.    Still,  for 


278  A  GREAT  EMPEEOR 

one  reason  or  another — his  ill-health,  and  the  slow- 
ness with  which  his  new  dwelling  progressed — he 
remained,  in  fact,  three  months  at  Jarandilla. 

During  this  time  he  watched  the  course  of  events 
in  Flanders  and  in  Italy  with  the  greatest  interest. 
So  fierce  was  the  old  Pope's  hatred  of  Spanish  rule, 
that  he  actually  invited  the  Turks  to  land  in  Sicily, 
while  he  lured  the  French  across  the  Alps  by  the 
most  tempting  hopes  of  Naples  and  Milan.  Philip  II 
at  once  took  strong  measures  and  gave  the  miUtary 
command  of  the  Netherlands  to  the  gallant  young 
Duke  Emanuel  of  Savoy,  who  was  already  the  civil 
governor.  The  Duke  of  Alva  was  placed  at  the  head 
of  the  army  of  Naples,  full  of  fierce  resolution  to  win 
back  the  laurels  which  he  had  lost  before  Metz. 
Despatches  arrived  almost  every  day  to  Jarandilla, 
but  meantime  Charles  had  also  other  matters  to 
engage  his  attention. 

His  sister  Eleonore,  when  she  had  left  Portugal 
after  the  death  of  her  husband,  had  not  been  allowed 
to  take  her  young  daughter  Maria  with  her,  as  it 
was  not  the  etiquette  for  an  unmarried  Infanta  to 
leave  the  land  of  her  birth.  This  had  always  been  a 
great  sorrow  to  Eleonore,  who,  as  Queen  of  France, 
had  found  it  impossible  to  go  to  Portugal  to  see  her 
daughter  and  had  vainly  tried  to  arrange  a  marriage 
for  her.  King  Joao  III,  the  half-brother  of  Maria, 
put  every  difficulty  in  the  way  of  her  passing  within 
her  mother's  influence,  as  he  wished  to  keep  control 
of  her  large  dowry,  and  all  the  Emperor's  negotiations 
on  behalf  of  his  sister  Eleonore  failed  for  the  time. 
During  the  three  winter  months,  from  the  beginning 


THE  LAST  JOURNEY  OF  CHARLES  V     279 

of  November,  Charles  remained  at  Jarandilla,  in 
constant  expectation  that  his  new  abode  at  Yuste, 
adjoining  the  Monastery,  would  be  ready  for  him. 
Here  he  received  many  visitors,  but  none  were  so 
welcome  to  him  as  his  old  friend  the  Duke  of  Gandia, 
who  had  joined  the  new  Society  of  the  Jesuits  and 
was  now  known  as  Fray  Francesco  de  Borja.  A 
man  of  high  character  and  reputation,  he  had  dis- 
tinguished himself  in  the  highest  positions  of  State 
as  Viceroy  of  Catalonia,  and  other  great  offices,  and 
was  also  an  accomplished  scholar  and  a  famous 
soldier.  But  the  pleasures  and  honours  of  the  world 
had  early  lost  their  attraction  for  him,  and  after  his 
wife's  death  he  obtained  the  Emperor's  permission 
to  resign  his  high  position  and  devote  himself  to  a 
life  of  piety.  So  great  was  his  passionate  devotion 
to  the  welfare  of  the  poor  and  afflicted,  and  so  mar- 
vellous the  charm  of  his  eloquent  preaching,  that  he 
was  looked  upon  as  another  St.  Francis. 

He  knew  that  his  old  friend  the  Emperor  had  not 
approved  of  his  joining  the  Society  of  Jesuits,  looking 
upon  it  as  a  new  and  untried  Order  ;  but  that  was  in 
fact  the  reason  why  Fray  Borja  had  chosen  it,  out  of 
humility,  little  foreseeing  its  future  power  and  great- 
ness. It  was  a  striking  meeting  at  Jarandilla  of 
these  two  old  friends  who,  from  different  reasons,  had 
given  up  the  world  and  its  attractions.  They  had  a 
long  and  interesting  conversation,  and  Charles  re- 
minded his  companion  that  he  was  one  of  the  first 
to  hear  of  his  intention  of  retiring  to  Yuste,  as  long 
ago  as  the  year  1542.  For  three  days  Fray  Borja 
remained  with  the  Emperor  and  he  departed  with 


280  A  GEEAT  EMPEROR 

great  regret,  promising  to  visit  his  lord  again  at  any- 
time his  counsels  were  needed.  He  was  able  later  to 
undertake  important  missions  both  for  Charles  and 
for  his  two  sisters  ;  his  last  visit  to  Yuste  was  in  the 
summer  of  1558,  not  long  before  the  Emperor's  death, 
and  he  it  was  who  preached  the  most  eloquent  and 
touching  funeral  sermon  at  Valladolid,  on  the  text : 
*'  Lo  !  then  would  I  wander  far  off  and  remain  in  the 
wilderness,''  a  subject  on  which  the  priest  and  the 
late  Emperor  were  so  fully  agreed. 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

CHARLES  V   AT  YUSTE 

Charles  enters  his  last  home  at  Yuste,  adjoining  the  Monastery,  on  a 
slope  of  the  Estremadura — His  garden,  his  love  of  birds  and 
flowers — His  pictures  by  Titian,  his  maps,  library,  and  mechanical 
pursuits — Constant  news  arrives  from  the  outside  world — The  keen 
interest  of  Charles  in  the  wars  of  Italy,  Flanders,  and  the  coast 
of  the  Mediterranean — Visits  of  his  sisters  Eleonore  and  Marie — • 
Don  John  of  Austria,  a  mysterious  child. 

It  was  on  February  3,  1557,  that  Charles  V  made 
his  final  entry  into  his  last  home  at  Yuste.  Early  in 
the  afternoon,  he  bade  farewell  to  the  Flemish  friends 
and  attendants  who  had  accompanied  him  from 
Brussels.  Besides  the  payment  due  to  them,  he 
made  them  presents  in  remembrance  of  their  faithful 
service,  and  they  took  leave  of  him  with  deep  emotion. 
But  as  an  eye-witness  remarks  :  "  Their  sorrow  was 
only  equalled  by  the  sad  forebodings  of  those  who 
were  about  to  be  buried  in  the  same  gloomy  solitude 
as  their  master.'" 

The  Monastery  of  Yuste  is  situated  on  a  wooded 
slope  of  the  mountain  chain  of  the  Estremadura,  on 
the  northern  side  of  a  valley  covered  with  orchards 
and  mulberry  gardens  and  well  watered  by  the 
streams  of  mountain  snows,  from  one  of  which,  the 
Yuste,  the  place  is  named.    The  order  of  St.  Jerome 

281 


282  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

had  been  founded  in  1374,  and  the  present  monastery 
had  been  built  in  1498,  on  this  picturesque  site,  about 
two  leagues  west  of  Jarandilla  and  seven  leagues 
east  from  the  beautiful  city  of  Plasencia.  Here 
eight  hours  of  the  twenty-four  were  devoted  to 
religious  services,  a  hospital  was  maintained  for  the 
sick,  quantities  of  food  were  daily  given  to  the  poor, 
and  the  refectory  boards  were  spread  many  times  a 
day  for  the  guests,  rich  or  poor,  who  were  waited  upon 
by  the  monks  in  their  white  woollen  tunics  and 
brown  mantles. 

It  was  the  greatest  event  in  the  history  of  the 
monastery  when  the  Emperor's  cavalcade  halted  at 
their  gates.  The  bells  rang  out  a  peal  of  welcome, 
and  the  Prior  came  forward  to  meet  the  royal  guest, 
who  was  lifted  from  his  litter  to  a  chair  in  which  he 
was  carried  to  the  door  of  the  church,  where  he  was 
met  by  the  whole  brotherhood  in  procession,  chanting 
the  Te  Deum  to  the  solemn  notes  of  the  organ.  At 
this  moment,  the  forty  halberdiers  who  had  escorted 
the  Emperor  from  Valladolid  cast  down  their  pikes 
upon  the  ground,  in  token  that  all  worldly  rule  was 
at  an  end.  Meantime,  Charles  was  carried  to  the 
front  of  the  high  altar,  and  when  the  service  was 
ended  he  made  an  inspection  of  the  convent,  and 
then  retired  to  his  new  home,  to  enjoy  the  rest  which 
he  had  so  long  desired. 

This  house,  which  had  been  in  process  of  building 
for  several  years,  was  close  against  the  south  wall  of 
the  church,  and  consisted  of  two  stories,  which  faced 
the  garden  and  the  midday  sun.  The  Cabinet  of 
Charles  had  a  most  picturesque  view,  from  the  garden 


CHAELES  V  AT  YUSTE  283 

richly  planted  with  fig  and  almond,  orange  and  lemon 
trees,  to  the  magnificent  valley  of  the  Vera  de  Plasen- 
cia,  the  winding  river,  and  in  the  far  distance  the  blue 
mountains  of  the  Guadaloupe.  A  corridor  led  from 
the  Emperor's  room  to  the  garden,  and  his  favourite 
walk  was  on  the  western  terrace,  where  the  setting 
sun  poured  a  golden  light  over  the  mountains  and  the 
plain.  Close  by  was  a  private  gate  at  the  end  of  a 
short  alley  of  cypresses  which  opened  out  into  the 
vast  forest  of  oak  and  chestnut  trees  beyond,  where, 
at  a  short  distance,  the  hermitage  of  Belem  was  a 
constant  point  of  attraction  for  the  imperial  recluse. 
Here  he  could  always  be  sure  of  the  absolute  peace 
and  seclusion  which  had  been  the  dream  of  his  busy 
life.  Charles  took  the  greatest  interest  in  this  convent 
garden,  which  was  kept  for  his  exclusive  use ;  the 
ground  near  the  windows  was  filled  wdth  roses  and 
carnations,  and  many  rare  plants  and  slirubs  were 
planted  under  his  directions.  He  always  had  a  great 
love  for  flowers,  and  it  is  to  him  that  we  owe  the 
Indian  pink,  which  he  had  noticed  on  the  shores  of 
Tunis  and  sent  home  to  Spain.  Later  his  garden  was 
embellished  with  a  massive  fountain  formed  from  a 
single  block  of  fine  stone,  and  Torriano  made  for  him 
a  beautiful  sundial  which  was  placed  near  his  favourite 
seat.  Charles  was  also  very  fond  of  birds,  and  loved 
to  watch  them  and  study  their  ways.  A  story  is 
told  of  him  that  once  during  the  camping  out  in  his 
wars  a  swallow  was  found  to  have  built  a  nest  and 
laid  her  eggs  on  his  tent,  and  he  ordered  that  it 
should  be  left  behind,  in  order  not  to  disturb  the  nest. 
The  Emperor  had  so  arranged  that  his  bedroom  on 


284  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

the  first  floor  should  be  built  actually  adjoining  the 
church,  so  that  a  passage  could  be  made  direct  from 
the  chancel ;  and  through  the  glass  door  he  could  see 
the  high  altar  from  his  bed,  and  by  opening  it  hear 
Mass  if  he  were  ill,  or  did  not  wish  to  take  his  place 
amongst  the  monks.  He  could  also  hsten  to  the 
singing  of  the  splendid  choir,  which  was  always  a  great 
enjoyment  to  him.  Music  had  always  been  a  passion 
of  his,  and  he  could  always  notice  a  wrong  chord 
or  the  new  voice  of  some  intrusive  stranger.  The 
keen  taste  for  art  and  science  which  he  had  cultivated 
in  his  busy  life  had  now  in  his  leisure  a  greater  charm 
for  him  than  ever.  Titian  had  always  been  his 
favourite  painter,  and  Charles  had  treated  him  with 
generous  appreciation.  He  had  brought  with  him 
to  Yuste  many  masterpieces  of  the  artist ;  several 
portraits  of  himself  at  all  ages,  of  the  Empress  Isabel, 
of  his  son  Philip,  of  his  daughters  Mary  and  Juana, 
of  Marguerite  of  Parma,  and  of  his  grandchildren. 
Most  of  these  were  hung  on  the  walls  of  his  apart- 
ments, but  the  splendid  picture  of  the  "  Trinity,'* 
with  himself  and  his  family  in  adoration,  was  placed 
over  the  high  altar  of  the  church  and  within  sight 
from  his  bed.  The  famous  "  St.  Jerome  "  of  Titian 
was  the  altar-piece  of  his  private  oratory. 

For  the  hangings  of  his  own  bedroom  Charles 
preferred  black,  which  was  mostly  covered  with 
pictures,  but  he  had  brought  from  Flanders  sets  of 
beautiful  tapestry,  worked  with  figures  in  allegory, 
landscapes,  or  flowers,  which  hung  on  the  walls  of  the 
other  apartments.  From  the  inventory  taken  after 
his  death,  we  find  amongst  the  works  of  art  several 


CHAELES  V  AT  YUSTE  285 

fine  silver  pieces  of  Tobbia  and  Cellini,  and  crucifixes 
of  gold  and  silver  with  various  curious  jewels  and 
relics.  But  that  which  was  most  interesting  to 
Charles  was  the  wonderful  collection  of  clocks  of  all 
kinds  and  scientific  instruments  made  under  the 
direction  of  his  famous  mechanician  Giovanni  Torri- 
ano.  The  Emperor  also  took  the  greatest  pride  and 
interest  in  his  rare  and  precious  maps ;  one  was  a 
sea-chart  sent  him  by  Prince  Doria,  and  he  had 
strangely  weird  maps  of  Italy,  Spain,  Flanders, 
Germany,  Constantinople,  and  the  Indies,  by  means  of 
which  he  could  follow  in  his  retreat  all  that  happened 
in  the  far-of!  world. 

His  library  was  of  less  importance  than  his  pictures  ; 
it  consisted  mainly  of  books  on  science,  history, 
Christian  philosophy,  and  religious  practice.  Amongst 
these  were  three  copies  of  the  "  Consolations  *'  of 
Boethius,  in  Spanish,  Italian,  and  French ;  Caesar's 
"  Commentaries ''  in  Italian ;  the  "  War  in  Germany,"' 
written  by  Avila  under  the  Emperor's  directions ;  the 
*'  Meditations  "  of  St.  Augustine,  and  the  "  Chevalier 
Delibere  "  of  Olivier  de  la  Marche,  which  Charles  had 
himself  translated  into  Spanish.  His  devoted  secre- 
tary, Van  Male,  never  ceased  to  bewail  the  loss  of  the 
fine  library  which  had  been  left  behind,  in  that 
hurried  flight  from  Innsbriick  across  the  snows 
of  the  Brenner.  Amongst  other  favourite  books 
of  Charles,  we  should  mention  the  "  Cortigiano  "  of 
Baldassare  Castiglione,  and  the  "  Memoirs  "  of  Corn- 
mines. 

In  this  calm  retreat  of  Yuste,  news  from  the  outside 
world  arrived  with  unbroken  regularity,  as  couriers 


286  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

from  Italy  and  the  Netherlands  brought  tidings  of 
the  renewal  of  war,  and  the  end  of  that  peace  which 
the  Emperor  fondly  hoped  he  had  bequeathed  to  his 
son.     He  had  watched  with  the  keenest  interest  from 
afar  the  progress  of  the  Duke  of  Alva  in  Italy,  his 
occupation  of  the  Papal  States,  and  his  menace  to 
Rome   itself ;    but  when   at   that   critical    moment 
Alva  had  not  dared  to  follow  the  example  of  Bourbon, 
but  had  weakly  promised  the  Caraffa  a  truce  of  fifty 
days,    great   was   the   indignation   of    Charles.     He 
saw  that  this  fatal  truce  would  give  the  Duke  of 
Guise  time  to  arrive  and  join  his  forces  with  those  of 
the  Pope,  and  all  the  advantages  of  the  campaign 
would  be  lost.     The  Emperor,  in  a  frenzy  of  im- 
patience, sent  dispatches  every  day  to  his  son  Philip 
at  Brussels,  and  to  his  daughter  Juana  at  Valladolid, 
pressing  her  to  put  the  frontiers  of  Spain  in  a  state  of 
defence,  to  raise  at  once  large  sums  for  levies  of  troops 
and  expenses  of  the  war,   and   above   all  to  send 
Spanish  soldiers  to  her  brother,  for  they  were  "  the 
best  fighters  in  the  world."    He  also  wrote  her  a 
long  letter  with  full  particulars  of  every  kind,  es- 
pecially as  to  the  means  of  raising  sufficient  money. 
The  result  of  all  this  excitement  for  Charles  was  a 
serious  attack  of  gout.     Later  he  received  w4th  great 
satisfaction  the  news  of  successes  in  the  Netherlands 
and  the  victory  of  St.  Quentin,  but  it  was  a  dis- 
appointment to   him   that  Philip   was   not  present 
himself   at   this   engagement.     The   messenger   who 
brought  the  good  news  of  the  victory  received  a 
gold  chain  and  a  sum  of  money. 
All  these  events  in  the  outside  world  only  concern 


CHARLES  V  AT  YUSTE  287 

us  so  far  as  they  have  an  influence  upon  the  Imperial 
recluse.  During  the  early  part  of  the  year  1557, 
after  his  coming  to  Yuste,  the  Emperor's  health 
seemed  greatly  improved,  and  he  was  able  to  enjoy 
his  peaceful  life,  his  fair  garden  with  all  its  attractions, 
and  the  congenial  friends  who  came  to  visit  him.  He 
spent  much  of  his  leisure  time  that  summer  in  his 
garden,  adding  raised  terraces  and  parterres  of  flowers 
and  orange  trees.  From  the  water  of  the  stream  he 
had  two  fish-ponds  made,  one  stored  with  tench  and 
the  other  with  trout.  Amongst  his  poultry  he  had 
some  Indian  fowls,  and  he  delighted  in  an  aviary  of 
pet  birds  ;  he  also  had  a  wonderful  talking  parrot 
and  two  beautiful  rare  Eastern  cats,  which  had  been 
given  him  by  his  sisters. 

Amongst  the  most  interesting  of  his  visitors  was 
Juan  Jines  de  Sepulveda,  who  came  to  stay  with 
him  in  March.  He  was  one  of  the  Historiographers 
Royal,  who  had  formerly  been  chaplain  to  the  Emperor 
and  tutor  to  Prince  Philip.  He  had  recently  retired 
to  his  estate  near  Cordova  to  continue  his  Annals  of 
the  reign  of  Charles,  and  to  cultivate  his  garden. 
Charles  received  him  with  warm  interest,  and  together 
they  admired  the  flowers  and  discussed  the  great 
history.  Sepulveda  had  come  by  the  same  mountain 
road  as  Charles,  and  had  not  thought  to  survive  it. 
The  ascent,  he  said,  was  like  Hesiod's  path  of  virtue, 
"  long  and  steep  and  rugged,''  but  alas  !  it  had  led, 
not  to  an  easy  plain,  but  to  a  still  more  fearful 
descent. 

Another  welcome  guest  at  Yuste  was  Don  Luis  de 
Avila,  the  historian  and  warrior  whose  honest  en- 


288  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

tliusiasm  for  his  master  was  unbounded.  He  ends 
his  German  Cornmentaries  with  a  glowing  sentence 
which  rings  out  like  a  trumpet-blast :  '*  The  splendour 
of  this  war  dejnands  a  nobler  pen  than  mine  .  .  .  yet 
I  but  write  what  I  have  beheld  with  mine  own  eyes 
of  the  great  deeds  of  my  Emperor,  who  as  far  excels 
in  fame  the  great  captains  of  past  ages,  as  he  excels 
them  all  in  valour  and  in  virtue."  Charles  loved  to 
talk  over  his  campaigns  with  the  old  soldier  who  had 
fought  in  them  and  written  their  ^ory.  He  had  no 
personal  vanity,  and  on  one  occasion  when  one  of 
these  historians  wished  to  have  an  opinion  on  some 
point  in  his  history,  Charles  remarked:  "  I  do  not 
wish  to  read  or  hear  what  has  been  written  about  me. 
Others  will  read  that  when  I  am  dead.*' 

Later  on  in  September,  the  Emperor  had  a  long 
and  welcome  visit  from  his  sisters  Queen  Eleonore  and 
Marie  of  Hungary.  They  had  travelled  with  him 
to  Spain  in  order  to  be  near  him  and  had  spent  much 
time  with  the  Regent  Juana,  their  niece,  at  ValladoHd. 
The  castle  at  Jarandilla  was  prepared  for  their  recep- 
tion, and  here  they  arrived  after  a  journey  of  ten 
days,  and  remained  for  some  months.  Both  sisters 
were  absolutely  devoted  to  Charles ;  indeed,  Marie 
was  accustomed  to  say  that  "  he  was  all  she  had  in 
the  world,  next  to  God."  The  Queen  of  Hungary 
was  a  splendid  horsewoman  and  was  very  fond  of 
liunting  ;  she  was  a  woman  of  great  intelhgence  and 
strength  of  character,  and  Charles  was  never  weary  of 
discussing  vath  her  projects  for  the  good  of  the 
Netherlands.  He  would  have  been  glad  to  obtain 
her  help  in  the  regency  of  Spain  during  the  absence 


^¥v5 


DON   JOHN   OF   AtrSTRIA. 


288] 


>'V, 


o  c  c  c   c 


CHARLES  V  AT  YUSTE  289 

of  Philip,  but  Juana  was  most  jealous  of  any  inter- 
ference, for  she  knew  that  if  her  strong-minded  aunt 
were  consulted  she  would  have  no  further  voice  in  the 
matter.  The  elder  sister  Eleonore  was  in  dehcate 
health,  and  her  chief  anxiety  at  this  time  was  to 
persuade  her  daughter  Maria,  Infanta  of  Portugal, 
to  come  and  stay  with  her.  To  see  once  more  her 
only  child,  from  whom  she  had  been  parted  so  many 
years,  was  the  one  desire  of  the  poor  mother.  But 
this  hope  was  still  deferred,  both  by  the  pretexts  of 
the  King  of  Portugal  and  also  by  the  Infanta's  un- 
wilhngness  to  come  to  Spain,  where  she  had  hoped 
to  be  the  Queen  of  Phihp  11. 

During  the  winter  of  1557,  Charles  suffered  from 
several  serious  attacks  of  illness,  and  they  were 
probably  aggravated  by  the  damp  and  mist  of  his 
convent  home.  Early  the  next  year,  he  was  greatly 
troubled  by  the  alarming  news  of  the  Turkish  corsairs 
on  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean,  who  were  assisted 
by  the  French  fleet.  Reggio  and  Sorrento  were 
surprised  and  sacked,  while  a  most  violent  attack 
was  made  upon  the  Island  of  Minorca,  which  succeeded 
in  destroying  the  town  of  Ciudella.  Strong  efforts 
were  made  to  protect  the  coast  of  Andalusia,  and  the 
Emperor  was  so  alarmed  and  eager  for  news  that  he 
gave  orders  that  he  was  to  be  called  at  any  hour  of 
the  night  when  a  courier  arrived  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean. However,  the  attacks  were  at  last  repelled, 
and  news  came  that  the  Turldsh  fleet  had  sailed  for 
the  Levant. 

At  this  time,  when  the  whole  coast  of  Spain  was 
in  terror  of  the  Turks,  it  so  chanced  that  their  future 
19 


290  A   GREAT  EMPEROR 

conqueror  ^>^ight  have  been  found  bird-nesting  in  the 
woods  of  Yuste.  He  was  none  other  than  ]jon  John 
of  Austria,  an  illegitimate  son  who  had  been  born 
to  the  Emperor  at  Ratisbon  in  1545,  some  years  after 
his  wife's  death.  The  mother  was  a  young  girl  named 
Barbara  Blomberg,  and  the  boy,  who  was  called 
Geronimo,  was  carefully  educated  by  order  of  Charles, 
but  was  never,  during  the  Emperor's  lifetime, 
pubhcly  acknowledged  as  his  son,  although  the 
secret  was  confided  to  one  or  two  trusted  friends. 
He  was  first  placed  in  the  charge  of  a  certain  Massi, 
a  favourite  musician  at  the  Court,  who  took  him  to 
Spain,  where  he  ran  wild  with  village  children,  and 
was  taught  to  read  by  the  cure.  When  he  was  nine 
years  old,  he  was  entrusted  by  Charles  to  the  guardian- 
ship of  the  devoted  Luis  de  Quijada  and  his  wife 
Maddalena,  who  brought  him  up  with  tender  aliection 
as  though  he  had  been  her  own  cliild ;  at  first  in 
their  country  estate  near  Valladohd,  and  later  in 
the  new  home  of  the  Major-domo  in  the  village  of 
Quacos,  just  below  Yuste.  Here  the  bright,  hand- 
some boy  passed  as  a  young  page,  but  the  great  in- 
terest taken  in  liim  by  the  Emperor — who  constantly 
invited  Maddalena  with  her  young  charge  and  treated 
her  with  the  highest  favour — ^aroused  some  curiosity 
and  suspicion  at  Court. 

Traditions  long  lingered,  in  the  villages  around, 
of  the  blue-eyed  lad  with  the  gallant  bearing  and 
courtly  manners,  who  had  his  full  share  of  mischief 
and  adventure  in  the  woods  and  orchards  of  the 
neighbourhood.  Charles  had  openly  acknowledged 
his  illegitimate  daughter  Marguerite,  born  long  before 


CHAELES  V  AT  YUSTE  291 

his  marriage,  and  had  made  her  Duchess  of  Florence 
and  later  of  Parma ;  and  if  he  did  not  act  in  like 
generous  manner  to  "  Geronimo "  during  his  Hfe, 
at  least  he  made  the  fullest  acknowledgment  and 
provision  for  his  son,  who  was  to  make  so  great  a 
name  in  History,  in  his  final  directions  before  his 
death,  and  by  a  document  executed  at  BrusselB  in 
1554,  which  he  left  in  charge  of  Philip.  This  gave  full 
particulars  about  the  birth  of  "  Geronimo,"  requested 
that  he  should  be  educated  as  became  his  birth,  and 
expressed  a  hope  that  he  should  enter  one  of  the 
reformed  monastic  Orders.  But  he  was  to  have 
free  choice,  and  lands  worth  30,000  ducats  in  the 
kingdom  of  Naples  were  to  be  settled  upon  him  and 
his  heirs. 

The  famous  Don  John  of  Austria  always  had  a 
respectful  admiration  for  the  great  Emperor,  whom  he 
was  to  know  too  late  as  his  father,  and  his  latest 
request,  before  his  early  death  at  Naniur,  1578,  was 
to  be  buried  by  his  side.  He  asked  this  favour  of 
his  brother  Phihp  as  the  reward  for  all  that  he  had 
done  for  the  cause  of  Christianity  and  the  Spanish 
realm  ;  on  the  mountains  of  Granada,  in  the  Gulf  of 
Lepanto,  on  the  sands  of  Tunis,  and  on  many  another 
glorious  field  of  battle.  This  wish  was  granted,  and 
the  gallant  conqueror  had  a  place  in  the  Escurial  by 
the  side  of  Charles  V.  His  adopted  father,  the  brave 
veteran  Quijada,  had  already  fallen  on  the  field  of 
battle  by  his  side,  and  left  his  widow  Dona  Maddalena 
to  the  loving  care  of  Don  John,  who  always  treated 
her  as  his  "  dearest  and  most  honoured  mother." 
No  other  descendant  of  the  Emperor  Charles  could 


292  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

compare  in  character  or  splendid  qualities  of  valour 
with  this  young  prince,  and  had  he  been  the  heir 
to  the  throne  of  Spain  instead  of  the  faithless,  cold- 
hearted  Philip,  the  history  of  Europe  might  have 
been  very  different. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

LAST  DAYS   OF   CHARLES  V— HIS   DEATH 

Charles  takes  leave  of  his  sister  E16onore,  who  travels  to  meet  her 
only  daughter,  Maria  of  Portugal — Death  of  E16onore — Charles 
resigns  the  Empire,  to  which  his  brother  Ferdinand  is  elected — 
Failing  health  of  Charles,  and  disturbing  war  news — Fray  Borja 
and  other  reUgious  friends  visit  him — Last  days  of  Charles  V — His 
death — Deeply  mourned  and  lamented  by  his  family,  his  friends, 
and  attendants — A  brief  estimate  of  his  character. 

The  year  1558  ushered  in  fresh  trouble  and  anxiety 
for  the  Emperor  at  Yuste.  He  was  in  ill-health 
himself,  for  the  damp  cold  of  the  hill- side  did  not  suit 
him,  and  there  had  been  much  sickness  amongst  his 
household.  He  had  persuaded  his  sisters,  Eleonore 
of  France  and  Marie  of  Hungary,  to  leave  him  and 
travel  farther  south  to  a  warmer  cUmate  in  December. 
This  they  had  done  the  more  wilUngly  as  negotiations 
had  been  made  with  the  King  of  Portugal  for  the 
long- hoped- for  meeting  of  Queen  Eleonore  with  her 
daughter  the  Infanta.  She  had  dechned  to  come  to 
Jarandilla,  near  Yuste,  as  had  been  first  arranged, 
and  she  suggested  Badajos,  a  cathedral  city  to  the 
south-west  of  Estremadura,  and  close  against  the 
frontier  of  Portugal,  as  the  place  of  meeting.  Her 
mother  was  wilHng  to  agree  to  anything  for  the  sake  of 

293 


294  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

once  more  embracing  the  daughter  whom  she  had 
not  seen  for  so  many  years.  It  was  a  weary  journey 
for  Eleonore,  who  was  in  faihng  health,  but  the  two 
Queens  travelled  by  slow  degrees  to  Badajos,  where 
the  Infanta  Doiia  Maria  arrived  in  great  state,  having 
been  met  at  the  frontier  by  a  company  of  Spanish 
nobles  as  a  guard  of  honour,  while  an  ambassador 
from  the  Emperor  and  the  Princess  Juana  brought 
friendly  congratulations. 

The  Infanta  remained  at  Badajos  for  twenty  days, 
but  she  was  proof  against  all  the  love  and  tenderness 
which  was  bestowed  on  her  by  her  mother  and  her 
aunt,  and  absolutely  refused  to  remain  in  Spain  with 
them,  or  even  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  Emperor.  She 
seems  to  have  willingly  received  all  their  splendid 
presents,  Queen  Eleonore  giving  her  jewels  to  the 
value  of  50,000  ducats,  while  her  aunt  the  Queen  of 
Hungary  had  brought  her  priceless  furs  and  state 
costumes,  besides  rich  tapestries  and  other  precious 
household  gear.  The  proud  and  cold-hearted  princess 
was  quite  untouched  by  her  mother's  loving  entreaties, 
and  when  the  day  which  she  had  fixed  for  her  return 
arrived,  Dona  Maria  showed  no  sign  of  concern  as 
she  took  an  eternal  farewell  of  the  weeping  Queens. 

The  sorrow  and  disappointment  proved  a  death- 
blow to  Queen  Eleonore,  in  her  fragile  state  of  health. 
She  had  not  travelled  more  than  three  leagues  on  her 
return  journey  with  her  sister,  when  she  was  taken 
seriously  ill  at  the  ague-stricken  town  of  Talaveruela  ; 
news  was  sent  to  the  Infanta,  who  refused  to  return 
from  the  frontier,  and  a  few  days  later  the  gentle, 
good,  tender-hearted  lady  passed  away  ;   her  life  had 


LAST  DAYS  OF  CHARLES  V  295 

been  one  long  sacrifice  to  the  House  of  Hapsburg. 
When  the  news  of  her  death  reached  Charles,  he 
deeply  mourned  for  the  loss  of  his  favourite  sister, 
and  the  shock  had  a  bad  effect  upon  his  health.  His 
attendants  did  not  dare  to  tell  him  that  a  courier 
had  arrived  with  news  that  Oran  was  again  threatened 
by  a  Turkish  fleet,  for  they  had  seen  how  much  he 
had  been  affected  by  the  recent  tidings  of  the  taking 
of  Calais  by  the  Due  de  Guise. 

When  his  sister  the  Queen  of  Hungary  joined  him 
in  March,  it  was  a  most  pathetic  meeting  in  which 
they  both  sought  consolation  in  sad  memories  of  their 
lost  Eleonore.  The  Emperor  was  unable  to  leave 
his  bed  when  she  arrived,  but  gradually  improved 
enough  to  sit  out  in  his  sunny  corridor.  He  was  very 
anxious  to  persuade  Marie  once  more  to  undertake 
the  government  of  the  Netherlands  where  she  had 
been  so  successful,  in  order  to  help  her  nephew 
Philip  II.  This  she  was  most  unwilling  to  do,  both 
on  account  of  her  health,  and  also  possibly  because 
she  did  not  approve  the  methods  of  the  new  King. 
At  this  time  arrangements  were  at  length  being 
carried  out  for  the  final  renunciation  of  the  Empire, 
which  had  been  postponed  again  and  again  from 
Ferdinand's  doubts  of  securing  the  succession.  It 
was  not  until  the  beginning  of  May  that  Charles 
received  the  papers  which  set  him  free  from  all  the 
last  of  his  earthly  honours,  as  his  brother  had  been 
definitely  elected  to  take  his  Imperial  title.  He  now 
'caused  all  the  coats  of  arms  to  be  removed  from  his 
apartments,  and  ordered  the  name  of  Ferdinand  to 
take  the  place  of  his  in  the  prayers  of  the  Church. 


296  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

"As  for  me,"  he  said  to  his  confessor,  "the  name 
of  Charles  is  enough  for  me,  because  I  am  nothing 
henceforth." 

It  seemed  as  though  a  great  burden  had  been 
lifted  from  his  shoulders  and  he  might  henceforth  be 
free  from  all  cares  of  State.  Yet  in  fact,  his  anxious 
glance  still  continued  to  range  over  the  whole  horizon 
of  Spanish  and  Imperial  policy ;  from  the  war  in 
Flanders  and  the  troubles  of  Italy  to  the  garrisons  of 
Africa  and  the  signal  towers  on  the  coast  of  Spain. 
Nor  did  he  neglect  the  welfare  of  the  Indies,  for  he 
still  kept  in  touch  with  Las  Casas,  who  had  returned 
to  Spain  in  1551,  and  he  took  the  deepest  personal 
interest  in  his  mission  settlement.  He  had  already 
given  Philip  minute  instructions  that  the  natives 
should  be  governed  with  justice,  and  supported  in  all 
their  just  claims,  and  that  they  should  be  secured  to 
the  service  of  God  only  by  the  gentle  means  which 
the  great  "  Apostle  of  the  Indians  "  had  found  so 
successful. 

The  rest  and  solitude  to  which  Charles  had  looked 
forward  in  his  retirement  proved  in  truth  to  be  but  an 
idle  dream.  He  still  watched  with  eager  anxiety  the 
course  of  the  war  on  the  frontiers  of  the  Netherlands, 
where  at  that  very  time,  June  1558,  the  strong 
fortress  of  Thionville  had  been  taken  by  the  Due  de 
Guise,  while  the  whole  coast  had  been  ravaged  and 
Dunkirk  taken  by  assault.  The  news  was  as  serious 
from  the  South,  where  the  Turkish  fleet  of  120  galleys 
having  descended  upon  the  Gulf  of  Sorrento  and 
carried  oif  4,000  captives,  had  passed  on  by  the 
Islands  of  Elba  and  Corsica  to  ravage  Minorca,  where 


LAST  DAYS  OF  CHAELES  V  297 

a  great  part  of  the  population  was  borne  off  to 
slavery. 

Charles  was  in  despair  at  these  reverses,  for  he  had 
never  ceased  warning  his  son  of  the  necessity  of 
strengthening  the  fortresses  and  maintaining  the 
garrisons,  while  he  himself  had  done  his  utmost  to 
raise  the  needful  funds  in  Spain.  But  fortune 
favoured  Philip  in  his  extremity,  for  the  French  King 
Aveakly  and  unwisely  delayed  taking  advantage  of 
his  victories,  and  on  July  13  his  army  was  defeated 
at  Gravelines  by  the  Count  of  Egmond.  The  joyful 
news  was  at  once  sent  to  Charles  by  his  son,  who  was 
strongly  urged  to  push  on  and  besiege  Calais.  This 
was  not  done,  and  the  Emperor  did  not  live  to  see 
the  triumph  of  Philip  in  the  Treaty  of  Cateau-Cam- 
bresis,  the  following  winter. 

It  is  a  curious  tribute  to  the  trust  and  veneration 
in  which  he  was  held  by  his  family,  that  his  daughter 
Juana  was  most  earnest  at  this  time  in  her  entreaty 
that  he  would  receive  under  his  care  and  influence 
the  young  Prince  Carlos,  who  was  of  a  most  difficult 
disposition  and  entirely  beyond  the  control  of  herself 
or  his  tutors.  Philip  also  was  strongly  of  the  same 
opinion  and  joined  in  the  appeal  to  his  father  to 
receive  the  troublesome  boy  at  Yuste.  Although  he 
had  already  formed  a  most  unfavourable  opinion  of 
his  grandson,  Charles  willingly  consented  to  his 
coming,  but  his  increasing  illness  prevented  the  plan 
being  carried  out,  and  the  unfortunate  young  prince 
was  not  checked  in  his  course,  probably  aggravated 
by  congenital  insanity,  which  brought  him  to  so  tragic 
an  end. 


298  A  GREAT  EiMPEROR 

The  Emperor's  health  had  rallied  during  the  early 
summer  and  he  greatly  enjoyed  the  cherries  and 
strawberries  from  his  own  garden.  During  his  retire- 
ment he  had  always  been  plentifully  supplied  with 
choice  provisions,  game  and  especially  fish,  for  which 
he  had  a  great  liking,  but  it  never  suited  him,  and 
the  doctor  Mathys  often  complained  that  he  was  not 
convinced  of  the  necessity  for  changing  his  usual 
varied  diet.  During  this  last  year  of  his  life,  the 
Emperor  appears  to  have  devoted  more  time  than 
ever  to  the  religious  services  in  the  monastery  chapel, 
where  the  splendid  music  and  the  singing  of  his 
unrivalled  choir  had  a  constant  attraction  and  charm 
for  him. 

When  his  devoted  friend  Fray  Borja  came  to  visit 
him  in  the  month  of  July,  Charles  told  him  how 
deeply  he  regretted  that  he  could  not  sleep  on  the 
ground  or  endure  other  penances  as  he  would  have 
wished,  although  he  longed  to  keep  the  monastic  rule 
as  far  as  his  infirmities  would  permit.  At  that  time 
his  health  was  steadily  failing,  and  already  several 
serious  attacks  of  illness  had  warned  him  that  he 
was  not  long  for  this  world.  He  had  always  been  a 
sincerely  religious  man,  with  deep  inward  spiritual 
feeling ;  but  the  unwonted  isolation  of  the  con- 
ventual life  at  Yuste  with  its  constant  rhythmical 
succession  of  ceremonies  may  have  had  a  benumbing 
effect  upon  his  sense  of  proportion;  more  especially 
now,  amid  the  shadows  of  approaching  death. 

Thus  when  news  reached  Charles,  in  this  year  1558, 
that  deadly  heresy  had  invaded  his  own  land  of  Spain, 
that  even  some  of  the  most  revered  and  trusted  of 


LAST  DAYS  OF  CHARLES  V  299 

his  own  preachers  and  confessors  had  joined  the 
hostile  camp,  we  j&nd  that  his  attitude  towards  those 
who  dared  to  attack  the  Sacred  Faith  of  his  ancestors 
had  become  that  of  a  friar  with  all  its  narrow  in- 
tolerance. At  the  same  time,  the  warlike  spirit  of  a 
captain  who  had  led  armies  to  victory  was  aroused 
to  put  down  this  rebellion  against  his  God,  as  he 
honestly  deemed  it ;  and  his  mind  was  set  upon 
driving  out  the  foe  who,  in  his  hours  of  weakness  and 
pain,  seemed  to  rise  up  before  him  as  an  abstract 
incarnation  of  the  evil  one. 

Far  different  had  been  the  wise  comprehension  of 
the  Emperor  in  the  prime  of  his  health  and  strength 
when,  as  the  warm  friend  of  Las  Casas,  he  had 
earnestly  supported  all  the  merciful  efforts  of  the 
"  Father  of  the  Indians."  Or  again  when  we  find 
him  yielding  to  the  appeal  of  the  people  of  Naples 
who  protested  against  the  Inquisition  in  their  city. 
More  striking  still  do  we  find  this  toleration  in  his 
German  Empire,  where  his  opposition  to  the  Protes- 
tants had  been  more  political  than  religious.  At  that 
time  his  hatred  of  schism  had  shown  itself  in  un- 
wearying attempts  to  induce  the  Roman  Catholics 
and  the  Lutherans  to  cease  their  contest  and  find  some 
compromise  by  which  they  could  meet  each  other 
half-way.  Impossible  as  this  proved  to  be,  it  gives  us 
a  measure  of  the  tolerance  of  Charles  towards  the 
freedom  of  thought  which  he  tried  to  understand  and 
argue  with,  employing  the  most  learned  divines  on 
both  sides  to  discuss  every  aspect  of  technical  theology 
for  long  weary  months.  We  cannot  forget  that  when 
at  Wittenberg  it  was  suggested  that  he  should  destroy 


300  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

the  tomb  of  Luther,  he  indignantly  replied  :    "I 
contest  with  the  living,  not  the  dead/' 

The  days  of  Charles  V  were  drawing  to  an  end, 
but  it  was  not  until  the  month  of  August  that  his 
physicians  became  seriously  uneasy  about  him.  The 
season  had  been  very  unhealthy,  and  there  had  been 
much  sickness  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  monastery. 
The  extreme  heat  had  been  very  trying  to  the  sick 
man,  who  was  attacked  with  fever,  and  on  August  28, 
after  a  terrible  thunderstorm,  there  came  a  change 
for  the  worse,  and  he  was  carried  from  his  couch  on 
the  open  gallery  to  his  bed,  which  he  was  never  to 
leave  again.  He  was  quite  collected  in  mind  and 
added  certain  codicils  to  his  will,  also  giving  full 
directions  to  his  devoted  Major-domo  Quijada,  con- 
cerning the  special  gifts  for  all  his  friends  and  atten- 
dants as  tokens  of  remembrance  and  gratitude. 
Towards  the  end,  he  made  private  arrangements 
for  his  last  store  of  ducats  to  be  secretly  sent — 
possibly  as  atonement  for  a  sin  long  repented  of — to 
Barbara  Blomberg,  the  mother  of  Don  John  of 
Austria,  who  had  long  since  been  provided  for  with  a 
pension  and  had  married  a  burgher  of  Ratisbon. 
Charles  also  left  many  charitable  gifts,  for  the  release 
of  Christian  captives,  for  many  private  charities  of  his 
own,  and  for  the  poor.  He  gave  full  directions  with 
regard  to  his  burial,  with  the  special  command  that 
he  should  rest  by  the  side  of  his  dear  wife. 

Charles  was  hovering  between  hfe  and  death  when 
the  news  reached  Yuste  of  the  disastrous  defeat  and 
destruction  of  his  Spanish  army  in  Africa,  by  the 
treachery  of  their  ally,  the  Dey  of  Fez.    All  the 


LAST  DAYS  OF  CHARLES  V  301 

positions  on  the  coast  were  threatened  and  Oran  was 
in  the  utmost  peril ;  but  the  great  sovereign  who  had 
so  gallantly  fought  in  defence  of  his  African  possessions 
was  spared  this  bitter  knowledge.  All  his  faihng 
strength  was  devoted  to  his  rehgious  duties,  and  he 
himself  chose  the  psalms  and  prayers  which  were 
read,  as  well  as  chapters  from  the  Gospel  of  St.  Luke. 
It  seems  a  curious  irony  of  fate  that  the  champion 
of  the  Roman  CathoUc  Church,  in  its  strictest  form, 
should  have  been  attended  in  those  last  hours  by  the 
ministry  of  Carranza,  Archbishop  of  Toledo,  who  was 
soon  to  be  attacked  by  the  Inquisition  for  his  views 
on  Justification  by  Faith,  and  on  the  authority  of 
the  Scriptures  as  superior  to  the  traditions  of  the 
Church.  Moreover,  Charles  himself  would  not  have 
been  safe  from  reproof,  as  he  possessed  the  only 
Bible  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Yuste,  in  a  French 
translation.  His  favourite  book  of  piety  by  Con- 
stantino Fuentes  was,  later,  condemned  by  the  *'  Holy 
Office." 

In  the  early  hours  after  midnight  of  September  21, 
it  was  plain  to  all  around  the  dying  man  that  the 
end  was  at  hand.  After  the  last  sacred  offices  his 
chaplainbade  him  rejoice  that  the  saints  were  watching 
over  him,  as  he  had  been  born  on  the  Feast  of  St. 
Matthias,  and  was  passing  away  on  that  of  St. 
Matthew,  who  for  the  sake  of  Christ  had  forsaken  the 
world,  even  as  the  Emperor  had  given  up  all  his 
worldly  possessions  and  honours.  Presently  he  asked 
by  signs  for  the  crucifix  which  the  Empress  had  held 
in  the  supreme  moment  of  passing  from  Ufe  to  death, 
which  he  raised  to  his  lips  and  then  pressed  against 


302  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

his  breast.  As  the  clock  struck  two,  he  breathed  his 
last  with  the  name  of  Jesus  on  his  Hps.  "  This  was 
the  end  of  the  greatest  man  who  has  ever  been  or 
shall  ever  he,"  was  the  requiem  of  his  devoted  Luis  de 
Quijada,  who  was  inconsolable  for  the  loss  of  his 
beloved  master,  and  knelt  for  long  intervals  weeping 
by  his  bedside. 

Never  was  any  one  more  deeply  loved  and  sadly 
mourned,  not  only  by  his  near  relations,  but  by  his 
ministers,  his  friends  far  and  near,  his  attendants,  and 
all  his  environment.  His  sister  Marie  Queen  of 
Hungary  was  broken-hearted  by  liis  death  ;  yet  for 
his  sake  she  was  even  then  setting  forth  on  her  way 
to  the  Netherlands,  to  sacrifice  herself  by  under- 
taking once  more  the  arduous  task  of  govermnent. 
But  it  was  not  to  be ;  she  had  long  been  suffering 
from  heart  complaint  and  the  shock  of  her  brother's 
loss  brought  on  another  and  more  violent  attack. 
She  wrote  to  Philip  on  October  8,  that  she  had 
yielded  to  his  father's  wish  and  was  already  on  her 
journey  to  Flanders,  but  the  recent  paroxysm  of  her 
illness  had  been  so  severe  that  "  she  might  well 
escape  this  voyage.''  In  this  she  was  a  true  prophet, 
for  she  passed  away  on  October  18,  twenty- seven  days  - 
after  the  brother  who  had  been  the  devotion  of  her 
life. 

Although  the  death  of  Charles  V  made  less  sensa- 
tion than  his  abdication,  it  yet  recalled  him  to  the 
attention  of  the  world  which,  for  the  last  two  years, 
had  almost  forgotten  the  great  Emperor.  Magnificent 
funeral  services  were  held  throughout  his  late  do- 
minions and  more  especially  wherever  members  of 


LAST  DAYS  OF  CHAELES  V  303 

his  family  were  to  be  found.  All  the  churches 
resounded  with  chants  of  lamentation  and  funeral 
orations.  His  brother  the  Emperor  Ferdinand  at 
Vienna ;  his  youngest  sister  Catahna,  Eegent  for  her 
grandson  the  four-year-old  King  Sebastian  of  Portugal, 
at  Lisbon ;  his  daughter  Juana  and  all  the  Court  of 
Spain  at  ValladoUd,  her  sister  Mary  with  her  husband 
Maximilian  in  Bohemia  ;  King  Phihp  11  at  Brussels  ; 
all  joined  in  the  solemn  memorial  celebrations  to  the 
honour  and  glory  of  the  late  Emperor. 

Of  the  next  generation,  there  were  hving  at  this 
time  the  unfortunate  Don  Carlos  eldest  son  of  Phihp, 
Rudolf  and  Mathias  the  sons  of  Mary  and  Maximilian, 
who  were  not  destined  to  achieve  distinction  in  any 
way,  and  Sebastian  of  Portugal,  who  was  to  die 
gallantly  fighting  the  Moors  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
four.  His  illegitimate  descendants  inherited  more  of 
the  finer  quahties  of  Charles,  for  his  son  Don  John  of 
Austria  was  to  make  a  splendid  name  in  history, 
and  his  grandson  Alexander  of  Parma,  the  son  of  his 
beloved  eldest  daughter  Marguerite,  was  also  to  prove 
a  gallant  soldier  and  a  distinguished  statesman. 

The  character  of  Charles  V  has  revealed  itself  in 
the  course  of  this  history,  and  we  reahze  that  only  a 
great  sovereign  and  a  great  man  could  have  kept 
together  so  immense  an  empire  for  forty  years,  and 
have  left  each  one  of  his  dominions  richer  and  stronger 
for  his  rule.  His  colonies  across  the  Atlantic  had 
cause  to  bless  his  wise  government,  for  we  are  told 
on  the  best  authority  that  "  only  through  his  whole- 
hearted support  of  the  views  of  Las  Casas  have  the 
Indians   from   Northern  Mexico   to  Southern  Chili 


304  A  GREAT  EMPEEOR 

been  suffered  to  survive  and  to  form  the  major  part 
of  the  population/' '  The  Emperor  Charles  was 
merciful  in  disposition,  and  although  he  was  a  good 
soldier  and  at  his  best  in  time  of  battle,  yet  all  his 
wars  in  Europe  were  defensive,  and  it  was  well  said 
of  him  by  the  Venetian  ambassador  that  "  he  was  not 
greedy  of  territory  but  most  greedy  of  peace  and 
quiet/'  Throughout  the  varied  and  often  trying 
events  of  his  reign,  he  showed  great  energy  and 
persistency,  combined  with  power  and  force  of 
character. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  trace  the  qualities  which 
he  inherited  from  his  ancestors  of  various  races.  In 
him  was  revived  the  chivalrous  valour  in  battle  of 
his  great-grandfather  Charles  the  Bold  of  Burgundy, 
whom  he  is  said  to  have  strongly  resembled  in  person. 
He  showed  at  times  the  pohtical  astuteness  of  Ferdi- 
nand of  Aragon,  and  still  more  vividly  the  earnest 
passion  for  justice  and  the  steadfast  devotion  to  the 
rehgious  Faith  of  liis  race  which  distinguished  his 
grandmother,  Isabel  of  Castile,  "La  Catolica.'*  We 
find  in  Charles  the  same  fine  taste  for  art  which  dis- 
tinguished his  grandfather  Maximihan,  and  in  his 
first  visit  to  Italy  the  pictures  in  the  churches  of 
Mantua  and  elsewhere  gave  him  keen  pleasure.  The 
unfinished  palace  at  Granada  remains  as  a  relic  to 
show  his  appreciation  of  Itahan  sculpture  and  archi- 
tecture. A  portrait  by  Titian  gave  him  so  much 
pleasure  that  he  at  once  appointed  him  as  the  Court 
painter,  and  for  twenty  years  deUghted  in  his  master- 
pieces.    The  splendid  portraits  of  the  great  master 

*  Armstrong,  "Emperor  Charles  V." 


LAST  DAYS  OF  CHARLES  V  305 

give  us  the  Emperor  his  patron  in  all  his  various 
aspects  and  immortaHze  his  memory.  If  he  was  not 
handsome,  at  least  his  face  always  gives  us  an  im- 
pression of  force  and  of  a  kind  of  royal  dignity. 

We  have  already  seen  how,  as  in  the  case  of  Maxi- 
milian, music  was  a  passion  with  him  from  early  Hfe, 
what  an  instinctive  taste  and  judgment  he  showed, 
and  what  a  lasting  delight  it  was  to  him  through  all 
his  anxieties,  even  to  the  very  end.  When  he  wished 
to  give  his  aunt  Marguerite  a  suitable  gift  he  could 
think  of  notliing  more  precious  than  a  selection  of 
Mass  music.  Charles  took  the  greatest  interest  in 
everything  connected  with  geography,  and  a  fine 
collection  of  the  curious  maps  of  the  period  was 
treasured  by  him  at  Yuste.  He  is  perhaps  best 
remembered  for  his  love  of  mechanics  and  the  wonder- 
ful clocks  of  all  kinds  made  for  him  by  Giovanni 
Torriano  of  Cremona,  often  under  his  own  personal 
direction.  The  wisest  philosophy  would  have  en- 
couraged the  recluse  in  these  mechanical  pursuits 
and  in  his  never-failing  love  of  birds  and  flowers,  to 
lighten  the  burden  of  anxious  thoughts  and  memories. 

As  we  take  leave  of  the  most  triumphant  of  the 
Hapsburgs,  the  last  great  Emperor,  we  find  that  he 
had  well  justified  his  proud  motto,  "  Plus  Ultra," 
and  we  can  safely  leave  his  character  to  the  final 
verdict  of  History.  This  record  of  his  Hfe  and  doings 
may  well  end  with  his  own  words '  :  "I  do  not  wish 
to  read  or  hear  what  has  been  written  of  me.  Others 
will  read  that  when  I  am  dead." 

1  Spoken  to  the  Chronicler  Sepulveda. 

20 


CHAPTER  XXV 

SOURCES  OF  INFORMATION  CONCERNING  CHARLES  V 

Varioua  sources  of  information  for  the  History  of  Charles  V — Official 
Historiographers  of  his  life  reviewed — Valuable  and  interesting 
work  of  Sepulveda  and  Paolo  Giovio — A  mine  of  information  in 
"  diplomatic  sources " ;  letters  of  ambassadors  from  every 
Court  of  Europe  and  directions  to  them,  from  Spanish,  German, 
and  other  ministers  of  Charles — An  immense  collection  of  letters 
written  by  or  to  the  Emperor,  and  all  his  family,  his  ministers, 
etc.,  found  in  all  the  Public  Archives  of  Europe — Most  valuable 
are  the  private  "  Memoirs  "  of  Charles  V,  translated  by  the  learned 
French  Professor,  Morel  Fatio — Allusion  to  other  historians. 

A  FULL  bibliography  of  the  Life  of  Charles  V  would 
be  so  enormous,  if  it  enumerated  all  the  books  on 
the  subject,  as  to  be  quite  unsuitable  for  the  general 
reader.  In  its  place  I  will  attempt  to  give  a  resume 
of  the  various  sources  of  information  available  for 
this  history,  as  such  a  course  will  be  more  interesting 
and  of  more  practical  value.  In  this  I  am  following 
the  plan  of  one  of  the  latest  and  most  learned  liistorical 
critics  of  the  present  day,  Alfred  Morel  Fatio,  Member 
of  the  Institute,  Professor  of  the  College  of  France 
and  Director  of  the  "  Practical  School  of  High 
Studies "  in  Paris.  His  important  work,  which  is 
an  introduction  to  the  "Memoirs"  of  Charles  V  and 
a  new  translation  from  the  Portuguese  pubHshed  in 
1913,  is  the  last  word  on  this  difficult  subject. 

306 


SOUECES  OF  INFORMATION  307 

The  sources  of  information  may  be  thus  enumerated. 
First  in  point  of  time  come  the  official  Historio- 
graphers of  the  reign  of  Charles  V ;  the  Court  His- 
torians who  were  supposed  to  write  down  the  story  of 
the  Emperor's  deeds  and  the  events  of  his  life  and 
reign.  Amongst  these  the  most  important  were  the 
following. 

Antonio  de  Guevara  was  born  in  1480  of  a  noble 
family  in  North  Castile,  and  was  taken  by  his  father 
at  the  age  of  twelve  to  the  Court  of  Ferdinand  and 
Isabel,  where  he  had  the  post  of  page  to  the  royal 
children.  After  the  death  of  the  young  prince  Juan 
and  that  of  Queen  Isabel,  the  gay  young  courtier 
resolved  to  give  up  the  world  and  become  a  Franciscan 
friar  at  Valladolid.  In  1523  he  was  made  preacher 
at  the  royal  chapel,  and  in  1526  he  received  the 
appointment  of  Historiographer  to  Charles  V,  in 
succession  to  Peter  Martyr  of  Angheria,  who  had 
written  almost  exclusively  the  "  Story  of  the  Indies.'* 

Guevara  was  a  man  of  literary  tastes  and  imagina- 
tion, more  suited  for  a  novel-writer  than  an  historian. 
In  his  "  Life  of  Marcus  Aurelius,"  he  completely 
deceived  his  contemporaries  by  inventing  a  corre- 
spondence with  fictitious  Romans.  In  his  "  Epistolas 
Familiares,"  he  forged  a  number  of  letters  from 
Castilian  cities  during  the  rebellion,  and  between 
royal  personages  and  others.  He  was  with  the 
Emperor  in  Tunis  in  1535  and  travelled  through 
Italy  with  him,  but  his  "  Chronicles  "  appear  to  have 
made  no  progress,  and  after  his  death  when  his 
papers  were  examined  only  casual  notes  and  a  few 
copies  of  documents   were  found,  all  in  disorder. 


308  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

Yet  his  imaginary  letters  are  of  value,  as  they  give 
a  vivid  idea  of  the  people  he  knew  and  of  the  customs 
and  institutions  of  old  Castile.  Some  historians,  such 
as  Sandoval,  have  treated  his  letters  as  genuine. 
About  1539,  Charles  appears  to  have  been  disap- 
pointed at  not  seeing  more  result  of  his  work,  and 
appointed  another  chronicler. 

A  very  different  writer  was  Juan  Jines  de  Sepulveda, 
his  successor.  He  was  an  Andalusian,  born  in  1490, 
who  studied  the  philosophy  of  Aristotle  in  Bologna 
under  Pomponazzi,  and  found  a  patron  in  Alberto 
Pio,  Prince  of  Carpi.  He  was  also  an  excellent 
classical  scholar,  and  an  eloquent  orator.  Charles  V 
was  much  impressed  with  a  spirited  address  in  which 
Sepulveda  called  upon  the  Christian  sovereigns  to 
make  war  on  the  Turks  ;  he  was  also  greatly  in- 
terested in  meeting  the  speaker  at  Bologna,  and 
never  forgot  him.  Thus  it  was  that  in  1536  he 
appointed  Sepulveda  his  chronicler  at  a  time  when  he 
felt  that  there  were  great  deeds  to  keep  note  of,  and 
a  keen  observer  of  talent  was  needed  to  chronicle 
important  events. 

Sepulveda  accepted  the  post  with  enthusiasm ; 
**  he  would  follow  Caesar,  he  would  live  the  life  of 
camps,  he  would  think  and  write  within  the  sound 
of  cannon,  and  the  trumpets  of  war.  He  would 
willingly  sacrifice  his  learned  studies  that  posterity 
might  thank  him  for  describing  events,  not  from 
hearsay,  but  from  actual  sight.'"  He  began  his 
writings  with  the  "  glorious  campaign  of  Tunis." 
*'  De  Rebus  Gestis  Caroli  Quinto  "  relates  all  the 
political  and  warlike  deeds  of  the  Emperor,  'and 


SOURCES  OF  INFORMATION  309 

also  tells  the  story  of  the  Spanish  nation  under 
his  rule.  Some  of  his  remarks  on  the  character  of 
the  Emperor  are  specially  interesting.  He  speaks 
of  extraordinary  tenacity  and  perseverance ;  that 
Charles  was  firm  in  a  decision  once  made  and  nothing 
could  turn  him  from  his  purpose.  He  desired  a 
virtuous  and  learned  clergy  and  often  raised  unknown 
men  to  high  posts.  Ambitious  and  a  lover  of  true 
glory,  he  had  no  petty  vanity. 

Sepulveda  was  too  honest  and  truthful  to  please 
Philip  II,  who  refused  to  have  the  "  Chronicles  " 
published.  They  did  not  see  the  light  until  1780, 
when  the  MS.  was  found  amongst  some  old  papers 
in  the  Academy  of  History  at  Madrid. 

The  next  Historiographer  was  Pedro  Mexia,  an 
essayist,  who  wrote  in  "  the  vulgar  tongue."  He 
only  lived  two  years  and  six  months  after  his  ap- 
pointment, carrying  on  the  history  to  1530.  He 
gives  a  good  account  of  the  "  Comunidades  of  Cas- 
tile "  and  writes  in  so  conscientious  a  manner  that 
we  regret  not  having  a  more  complete  history  from 
his  pen. 

The  somewhat  doubtful  fame  of  the  next  Chronicler, 
Florian  of  Ocampo,  rests  upon  his  "  Cronica  general 
de  Espana,"  of  which  the  greater  portion  is  concerned 
with  events  long  before  the  Christian  Era.  As  Morel 
Fatio  remarks  that  in  this,  "  Ocampo  a  menti  avec 
une  rouerie  incroyable,"  we  may  feel  very  doubtful 
as  to  the  value  of  the  contemporary  portion  of  his 
work  and  correspondence. 

After  this  a  certain  "  Barnabe  Busto  "  is  mentioned 
in  the  catalogue  of  the  "  Escurial,"  but  the  next 


310  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

Historiographer  of  note  is  Juan  Paez  de  Castro,  a 
very  distinguished  philologist  of  the  University  of 
Alcala,  who  received  his  appointment,  as  well  as 
that  of  chaplain,  in  1555.  This  was  only  a  year 
before  the  abdication  of  the  Emperor,  and  de  Castro 
was  a  man  of  so  much  learning  and  so  much  accuracy, 
that  he  was  only  able  to  show  some  of  his  laborious 
work  fourteen  years  later.  In  his  learned  essay  on 
the  "  Method  of  Writing  History,"  he  says  that  the 
historian  must  possess  profound  and  universal  know- 
ledge ;  he  must  be  a  moralist  and  have  a  great  gift  of 
eloquence  to  paint  the  past  and  make  it  live  again ; 
he  should  also  be  a  combination  of  a  poet  and  a 
philosopher,  not  sounding  a  trumpet  like  the  verses 
of  Homer,  but  with  a  smooth  and  easy  style.  He 
must  study  facts  and  trace  the  reason  of  them,  and 
his  instinct  must  pierce  the  motives  of  all  the  charac- 
ters who  appear  upon  his  scene.  No  one  life  could 
be  long  enough  to  accomplish  all  this,  but  Paez  has 
earned  our  gratitude  by  the  copies  of  documents,  the 
notes,  and  the  critical  analysis  which  he  has  left. 

Passing  on  from  other  unimportant  chroniclers, 
we  come  to  one  who  just  missed  this  distinction,  but 
is  more  worthy  of  note  than  most  of  the  official 
historians.  Paolo  Giovio  deserves  a  high  place  from 
his  "  Historise  sui  temporis,"  which  rises  far  above 
most  writers  on  the  subject.  We  will  only  touch 
upon  the  points  in  this  work  which  allude  to  Charles  V. 
He  met  the  Emperor  for  the  first  time  at  Genoa  in 
1529,  in  the  prime  of  his  youth  and  success.  Giovio 
was  surprised  at  his  gentleness  and  affability ;  and 
describes  him  as  full  of  dignity  and  self-control,  with 


SOUECES  OF  INFORMATION  311 

superb  muscular  development,  well  proportioned, 
his  face  of  a  silvery  pallor,  an  aquiline  nose,  and 
the  prominent  chin  of  his  race.  He  alludes  also 
to  his  singular  patience,  perfect  justice,  and  rare 
modesty. 

Charles  was  evidently  greatly  attracted  by  Giovio 
and  employed  him  on  many  diplomatic  missions  in 
Italy.  The  historian  tells  many  interesting  stories 
of  Charles  which  we  have  no  space  to  quote.  Their 
last  meeting  was  at  Busseto  in  June  1543,  when  the 
Emperor  was  about  to  begin  his  war  in  the  Nether- 
lands with  William  of  Cleves,  and  he  said  to  Giovio  : 
"  Take  up  thy  pen  and  hasten  to  write  about  my  past 
actions,  for  this  coming  fight  will  find  you  a  new  and 
great  task."'  Charles  never  returned  to  Italy,  but 
Giovio  sent  his  account  of  the  conquest  of  Tunis  to 
him  for  correction.  The  intimate  relations  of  this 
historian  with  all  the  distinguished  men  of  the  period 
add  greatly  to  the  value  and  interest  of  his  writings, 
which  have  been  fully  appreciated  and  made  use  of 
by  later  students  of  the  period. 

For  the  "  Life  of  Charles  V,"  there  is  an  invaluable 
mine  of  information  in  "  Diplomatic  Sources,"  the 
letters  of  all  the  ambassadors  from  various  countries 
who  appeared  at  the  Court  of  the  Emperor  and  also 
those  sent  by  Charles  to  other  sovereigns.  The 
Venetian  records  are  rich  in  personal  descriptions. 

"  Le  Relazioni  degli  Ambasciatori  Veneti  al  Senato 
durante  il  secolo  decimosesto.'"  Collected  by  E. 
Alberi. 

"  Relationen  Venetianischer  Botschafter  .  .  .  im 
XVI  Jahrhundert."    J.  Fiedle  and  various  others. 


312  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

The  letters  of  the  Papal  Legates,  Vergerio,  Giovanni 
Morone,  Aleander,  Verallo,  and  others  are  of  the 
greatest  value.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  corre- 
spondence of  the  Ambassadors  of  Charles  in  foreign 
Courts,  and  especially  in  England  and  France. 

The  "  Calendars  of  State  Papers,''  both  Foreign 
and  Domestic,  in  England,  Spain,  and  Venice,  are 
rich  in  information.  Spain  boasts  the  priceless 
"Coleccion  de  documentos  ineditos  para  la  historia 
de  Espana,''  and  also  the  "  Collection  relating  to  the 
Discovery,  Conquest,  and  Organization  of  the  Colonies 
of  South  America.'' 

But  almost  more  interesting  in  this  personal  history 
of  Charles  V  are  the  immense  collections  of  letters 
both  pubHc  and  private  of  the  Emperor  himself  with 
all  his  family  and  ministers.  Amongst  these  we  may 
mention : 

"  Correspondence  of  the  Emperor  Charles  V  with 
the  Ambassadors  at  the  Courts  of  England  and 
France."  To  this  is  added  the  "  Itinerary  of  Charles 
from  1519  to  1551,"  by  his  secretary  Vandenesse. 
W.  Bradford. 

"  Correspondenz  des  Kaisers  Karl  V."  Collected 
by  K.  Lanz. 

"  Correspondance  de  Marguerite  d'Autriche,  sur  les 
afiaires  des  Pays  Bas."  Collected  by  L.  Ph.  C.  Van 
den  Bergh. 

All  the  letters  concerning  Queen  Juana,  in  "La 
Reina  Dona  Juana  la  Loca,  por  Antonio  Rodriguez 
Villa,"  most  valuable  documents. 

"  Correspondance  de  Charles  Quint  et  d'Adrien  VL" 
L.  P.  Gachard. 


SOURCES  OF  INFORMATION  313 

*'  Les  Pays  Bas  sous  Charles-Quint/'  J.  Juste,  with 
the  letters  of  Marie  of  Hungary. 

**  Lettere  di  Principi/'  Collected  by  G.  Ribier. 
"  Lettres  et  Memoires  d'Etat."    Sleidin. 

Besides  many  other  letters  which  have  been 
preserved,  we  must  add :  the  "  Papiers  d'Etat 
du  Cardinal  Granvelle/'  C.  Weiss.  "  Negociations 
Diplomatiques  entre  la  France  et  TAutriche."  E.  Le 
Glay.  "  The  Diaries  of  Mario  Sanuto."  **  Lettres 
sur  la  vie  interieure  de  Charles  Quint."  Guillaume 
Van  Male,  Secretary  of  Charles  V. 

"  Retiro,  estancia  y  muerte  del  emperador  Carlos 
Quinto  en  el  monasterio  de  Yuste.''  {Relacion 
historica  documentada).  Collected  by  Don  To  mas 
Gonzalez. 

These  two  last  are  the  standard  sources  of  informa- 
tion concerning  the  retreat  and  death  of  the  Emperor. 
It  may  be  well  to  mention  here  that  they  contain  no 
allusion  to  the  oft-told  tale  of  the  premature  funeral 
obsequies  said  to  have  been  arranged  by  Charles 
before  his  death.  Nor  are  they  spoken  of  by  any  of 
the  Court  attendants  in  their  letters  or  diaries.  The 
monk  who  started  the  legend  fixes  the  date  on 
August  31,  when  there  is  absolute  proof  that  the 
Emperor  was  confined  to  his  bed.  His  supporters 
suggest  that  the  30th  may  have  been  meant,  but  on 
this  date  the  Doctor  Mathys,  who  is  made  by  the 
Friar  to  take  an  important  part  in  the  ceremony,  was 
sent  away  by  Charles  on  an  errand  to  Jarandilla. 
The  daily  letters  of  the  Major-domo  Quijada,  the 
Secretary  Gaztelu,  and  the  Doctor  Mathys,  who 
mention  all  the  usual  rehgious  ceremonies  at  Yuste, 


314  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

are  absolutely  silent  with  regard  to  the  sham  funeral, 
which  the  Church  of  Rome  would  have  forbidden.^ 

There  are  several  chroniclers  who  wrote  the  Ufe 
of  Charles  V  very  soon  after  his  death,  such  as  Alfonso 
de  UUoa,  the  author  of  "  Historia  del  Emperador 
Carlos  V,  escrita  in  lengua  etrusca/'  Bernardo 
Tasso,  Lodovico  Dolce,  Lorenzo  de  Padilla  and 
Alonso  de  Santa  Cruz,  who  also  recorded  events  which 
they  might  have  heard  of  from  eye-witnesses. 

But  of  supreme  interest  are  the  "  Memoirs  of 
Charles  V,^'  dictated  by  himself  to  Van  Male,  to  which 
we  have  already  made  frequent  allusion  in  these 
pages.  We  have  already  seen  how  they  were  written 
in  1550  and  1551  ;  beginning  on  the  Rhine  and 
finished  in  Augsburg,  during  the  many  months  of 
the  Emperor's  residence  there.  These  "Memoirs" 
covered  the  period  from  1516  when  Charles  left 
Flanders  for  Spain,  until  the  month  of  September 
1548.  They  have  a  curious  history,  for  although 
their  existence  was  known  to  many  people,  they 
completely  disappeared,  and  it  is  beheved  that  the 
original  MS.  may  have  been  destroyed  by  Phihp  II. 
But  in  the  year  1620,  the  learned  Baron  Kervyn  de 
Lettenhove  discovered  in  the  National  Library  of 
Paris  a  Portuguese  translation  of  these  "Memoirs** 
which  had  been  missing  for  so  long.  The  BarOn 
pubhshed  a  French  translation  under  the  title  of 
*'  Commentaires  de  Charles-Quint,"  1862,  but  this 
work  left  much  to  be  desired.  We  are  fortunate  in 
having  a  new  and  most  careful  translation,  pubhshed 
in  1913  with  the  Portuguese  text  opposite  each  page  ; 

1  M.  Mignet,  "  Charles  Quint,"  p.  xrii. 


SOURCES  OF  INFORMATION  315 

a  work  for  which  we  cannot  be  too  grateful  to  the 
distinguished  French  Professor  Morel  Fatio,  enriched 
as  it  is  with  full  notes  and  references. 

The  letter  which  is  placed  at  the  head  of  these 
*'  Me:noirs  "  of  Charles  V  was  written  by  his  own 
hand  in  Spanish.  *'  This  letter  His  Majesty  sent  to 
Germany  with  the  said  *  Memoirs  '  to  the  King  PhiHp 
his  son,  who  was  then  Prince  of  Spain.'* 

"  This  history  is  the  one  which  I  wrote  in  the 
vulgar  tongue  when  we  were  taking  the  voyage  on 
the  Rhine,  and  which  I  finished  at  Augsburg.  It  is 
not  such  as  I  should  have  desired,  and  God  knows 
that  I  have  not  written  it  from  vanity.  If  He  should 
be  offended  by  it,  the  offence  which  I  have  committed 
is  caused  by  my  ignorance  and  not  my  ill-will.  ...  I 
trust  that  He  may  not  be  offended  with  me  on  account 
of  this  writing.  .  .  .  May  it  please  him  to  restrain  His 
anger  and  to  rescue  me  from  the  difficult  position  in 
which  I  find  myself !  I  have  been  on  the  point  of 
burning  the  whole  of  this  history;  but  because,  if 
God  grants  me  hfe,  I  propose  to  rewrite  this  in  such 
a  way  as  to  serve  Him,  and  also  to  avoid  the  risk  of 
its  being  lost,  I  send  it  to  you.  Preserve  it  in  a  safe 
pj^ace  over  yonder  and  do  not  let  it  be  opened  until .  . . 

"  I,  The  King." 

*^  INNSBBTJOK, 
"  1562." 

This  letter  must  have  been  written  in  May  1552, 
when  the  news  reached  the  Emperor  that  the  revolted 
Maurice  of  Saxony  was  hurrjdng  over  the  Bavarian 


316  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

Alps  to  surprise  him.  To  "  avoid  risk  '*  to  Ids 
precious  "  Memoirs  "'  he  sent  them  to  what  he  trusted 
would  be  the  safe  guardianship  of  his  son,  before  he 
rose  and  fled  over  the  snows  of  the  Brenner  to  a 
refuge  in  Carinthia.  We  have  every  reason  to  beheve 
that  the  MS.  arrived  in  safety.  As  to  the  time  when 
it  was  to  be  opened,  apparently  Charles  had  not  yet 
decided,  and  broke  oft  abruptly. 

It  is  quite  possible  that  a  portion  of  the  "  Memoirs  " 
which  were  dictated  to  Van  Male  may  have  been 
amongst  the  papers  which  were  seized  by  the  faithful 
Luis  de  Quijada  immediately  after  the  Emperor's 
death,  and  perhaps  some  day  the  full  story  may  be 
revealed  and  the  original  MS.  may  be  discovered. 
Meantime,  we  are  thankful  that  the  Portuguese 
translation  has  preserved  these  extremely  interesting 
historical  memoirs  by  Charles  himself. 

Of  modern  writers,  the  Belgians  Alexandre  Henne 
and  M.  H.  Pirenne  deserve  special  mention,  as 
historical  science  is  well  advanced  in  their  country, 
and  the  Belgian  archivist,  L.  P.  Gachard,  has  made 
invaluable  use  of  the  archives  of  Simancas.  With 
regard  to  the  deahngs  of  Charles  with  the  German 
people,  Janssen  is  a  safe  authority,  and  Giuseppe  de 
Leva  for  Italy,  while  Ranke  is  a  valuable  and  much- 
quoted  authority.  The  well-known  '*  Life  of  Charles 
V "  by  Robertson  is  thus  alluded  to  by  Stirhng 
Maxwell,  the  author  of  that  charming  book,  the 
"  Cloister  Life  of  Charles  V  "  :  **  Robertson  has  told 
the  story  of  the  Emperor's  hfe  at  Yuste  with  much 
dignity  and  grace,  and  still  more  inaccuracy."  In 
this   connection  we   must   again   allude   to   Tomaa 


SOURCES  OF  INFORMATION  317 

Gonzalez,  who  was  in  a  most  favourable  position  for 
accurate  study,  as  he  was  Canon  of  Plasencia  in  1815 
and  was  commissioned  by  Ferdinand  VII  to  put  in 
order  the  Historical  Archives  at  Simancas,  His 
book  entitled  "  Retiro,  estancia  e  muerte  del  em- 
perador  Carlos  Quinto  en  el  monasterio  de  Yuste" 
{Relacion  historica  documentada)  consists  of  letters 
of  the  Emperor,  of  his  son  PhiHp,  his  daughter  Juana, 
his  Major-domo  Luis  Quijada,  his  secretary  Martin 
de  Gaztela,  and  his  doctor  Henri  Mathys,  who  followed 
Charles  to  the  monastery.  Also  letters  of  Luis  de 
Avila  (commander  of  Alcantara),  Carranza,  Mohna, 
Fray  Borja,  and  others. 

A  later  work  on  the  same  subject  is  that  of 
M.  Mignet,  Secretary  of  the  Academic  des  Sciences 
Morales  et  Politiques,  who  has  made  a  careful  study 
of  all  available  authorities. 

With  regard  to  the  extremely  interesting  **  Life  of 
Charles  V  "  by  Armstrong,  pubhshed  in  1902,  Morel 
Fatio  writes;  "  M.  Edward  Armstrong  divise  le 
regne  en  un  certain  nombre  d'episodes,  a  propos 
desquels  I'auteur  nous  expose  ce  que  sa  connaissance 
de  I'histoire  generale  et  Tutihsation  de  beaucoup  de 
travaux  de  detail  lui  ont  appris.** 

With  regard  to  a  special  study  of  the  American 
colonies  of  Spain  in  the  reign  of  Charles  V,  there  is 
the  fine  "Coleccion  de  documentos  ineditos  relativos 
al  descubrimiento,  conquista  y  organizacion  de  las 
antiguas  posesiones  espanolas  de  Ultramar." 

"The  Letters  of  Cortes  to  Charles  Y"  in  the 
Archivio  de  Indias. 

*'  Historia  General  de  las  Indias."    Las  Casas. 


318  A  GREAT  EMPEROR 

**  Conquista  di  Mejico/'  Antonio  de  Solis  (1684), 
"Historia  de  las  Indias/'  Oviedo,  and  "Historia 
de  Tlascala/'  Camargo;  not  to  mention  the  well- 
known  books  of  Prescott  and  others  on  the  Conquest 
of  Peru  and  the  Conquest  of  Mexico,  which  have 
brought  the  stirring  tale  of  adventure  and  conquest 
within  reach  of  us  all. 


CHRONOLOGY 

1500.  Birth  of  Charles  V  at  Ghent,  February  24. 

1501.  Birth  of  Isabelle,  sister  of  Charles. 

1503.  Death  of  Pope  Alexander  VI,  succeeded  by  Julius  II. 
Birth  of  Ferdinand,  brother  of  Charles. 

1504.  Death  of  Queen  Isabel  of  Spain,  grandmother  of  Charles. 

1506.  Death  of  Philip  I,  father  of  Charles. 

1507.  Catalina,  sister  of  Charles,  born. 

1509.    Accession  of  Henry  VIII,  King  of  England. 
1513.    Death  of  Pope  Julius  II,  Leo  X  succeeds. 

1515.  Death  of  Louis  XII  of  France,  succession  of  Fran9oi8  I. 
Battle  of  Marignano. 

Isabelle  of  Austria  marries  Christian  II  of  Denmark. 

1516.  Death  of  Ferdinand,  King  of  Spain,  grandfather  of  Charles. 
Treaty  of  Noyon. 

1517.  Charles  V  goes  to  Spain. 

1519.  Death  of  Emperor  Maximilian,  Charles  elected  as  his 

successor. 
Eleonore  marries  Joao  III  of  Portugal. 

1520.  Luther  excommunicated. 
Charles  V  in  England. 
Field  of  the  Cloth  of  Gold. 
Charles  V  crowned  at  Aachen. 
Straits  of  Magellan  discovered. 

1521.  Defeat  of  the  Comuneros  at  Villalar. 
Diet  of  Worms. 

Luther  put  under  the  ban  of  th«  Empire. 
War  of  Milan. 
Death  of  Pope  Leo  X. 

319 


320  CHRONOLOGY 

1522.  Adrian  VI  of  Utrecht  elected  Pope. 
Luther  at  Wittenberg. 

Battle  of  the  Bicocca, 
Charles  V  in  England. 
Treaty  of  Windsor. 
Conquest  of  Mexico  completed. 
Rhodes  captured  by  the  Turks. 

1523.  Christian  II  and  his  family  compelled  to  fly  from  Denmark. 
Death  of  Pope  Adrian  VI,  election  of  Clement  VII. 

1524.  Peasants'  Rising  in  Germany. 
Invasion  of  France. 
Franfois  I  crosses  the  Alps. 

1525.  Battle  of  Pavia. 
Fran9oi3  I  taken  prisoner. 

1526.  Treaty  of  Madrid. 
Fran5ois||et  at  liberty. 

Marria^fc  Charles  V  with  Isabel  of  Portugal. 

Death  ^^ftabelle  of  Denmark. 

League^^O'ognac. 

Diet  of  Speier, 

Battle  of  Mohdcs. 

Defeat  and  death  of  Louis  of  Hungary. 

Raid  of  the  Colonna  on  Rome. 

Ferdinand  becomes  King  of  Bohemia  and  Hungary. 

1527.  Sack  of  Rome. 
Death  of  Bourbon. 
Birth  of  Philip  II. 

1528.  France  and  England  declare  war  on  Charles. 
Siege  of  Naples  by  Lautrec. 

Mary  born,  daughter  of  Charles  V. 

1529.  Treaty  of  Barcelona. 
Charles  V  in  Italy. 
Peace  of  Cambrai. 

Siege  of  Vienna  by  the  Turks. 

1530.  Coronation  of  Charles  V  by  the  Pope  at  Bologna. 
Charles  in  Germany. 

Diet  of  Augsburg. 


CHRONOLOGY  321 

1530.  Confession  of  Augsburg. 
Eleonore  marries  Frangois  I. 
Florence  taken  after  a  long  siege. 

Death  of  Marguerite  of  Austria,  Regent  of  the  Netherlands. 

1531.  Ferdinand  elected  King  of  the  Romans. 

Mary  of  Hungary  appointed  Regent  of  the  Netherlands. 
Henri  of  France  marries  Catherine  dei  Medici. 
League  of  Schmalkalden. 

1532.  Inquisition  established  at  Lisbon. 
Religious  Peace  of  Niirnberg, 
Charles  in  Italy. 

Second  Conference  at  Bologna. 
Conquest  of  Peru. 

1533.  Marriage  of  Henry  VIII  with  Anne  Boleyn. 

1534.  Society  of  Jesuits  founded  by  Ignatius  Loyala. 
Death  of  Pope  Clement  VII. 

1535.  Expedition  of  Tunis,  in  which  Charles  lAp  part. 
Charles  V  in  Sicily  and  Naples. 
Juana  born,  daughter  of  Charles  V. 

1536.  Treaty  of  Fran9ois  I  renewed  with  the  Sultan  Solyman. 
Third  war  between  Charles  V  and  Francois  I. 
Invasion  of  Provence  by  Charles  V. 

1537.  Cosimo  dei  Medici  becomes  Duke  of  Florence. 

1538.  Truce  of  Nice  between  Charles  V  and  Fran§oi8  I. 
Catholic  League  of  Niirnberg. 

Death  of  Duke  Charles  of  Guelders. 

1539.  Revolt  of  Ghent. 

Death  pi  the  Empress  Isabel,  wife  of  Charles  V,  May  1. 

1540.  Marriage  and  divorce  of  Henry  VIII  and  Anne  of  Cleves. 
Capitulation  of  Ghent. 

1541.  Solyman  takes  Buda. 
Expedition  against  Algiers. 

1542.  Fourth  war  between  Charles  V  and  Frangois  I. 

John  Frederick  of  Saxony  and  Philip  of  Hesse  overrun 

Brunswick. 
The  Inquisition  established  at  Rome. 

1543.  Barbarossa  again  in  the  Western  Mediterranean. 

21 


322  CHRONOLOGY 

1543.  Expedition  of  Charles  against  tlie  Duke  of  Cleves. 
Conquest  of  Guelders. 

1544.  Diet  of  Speier. 
Battle  of  Ceresole. 
Siege  of  Boulogne. 

1545.  Birth  of  Don  John  of  Austria. 
Council  of  Trent. 

1546.  Death  of  Luther. 
Diet  of  Ratisbon. 

Alliance  of  Charles  V  and  Maurice  of  Saxony, 
League  of  Charles  V  with  Pope  Paul  III. 
The  Schmalkaldic  War. 

1547.  Death  of  Henry  VIII  (January). 
Death  of  Fran9ois  I  (March). 

Succession  of  Edward  VI  in  England,  Henri  II  in  France. 
The  Council  moves  from  Trent  to  Bologna. 
Battle  of  Miihlberg  (April). 
Diet  of  Augsburg. 

1548.  Mary  Stuart  betrothed  to  the  Dauphin. 
The  Augsburg  "  Interim  "  proclaimed. 

1549.  Council  of  Bologna  suspended. 
Death  of  Paul  III. 

1550.  Julius  III  elected  Pope. 

Maurice  of  Saxony  trusted  to  execute  the  Ban  of  Magde- 
burg. 

1551.  War  of  Parma. 

Council  reopened  at  Trent. 
Tripoli  taken  by  tlie  Turks. 
War  in  Saxony. 
Capitulation  of  Magdeburg. 

1552.  Treaty  of  Chambord. 
Invasion  of  Lorraine  by  France. 

Flight  of  Charles  V  from  Innsbriick  (May). 
Suspension  of  Council  of  Trent. 
Treaty  of  Passau. 
Siege  of  Metz. 

1553.  Capture  of  Terouanne. 


CHRONOLOGY  323 

1553.  Battle  of  Sieversliausen. 
Death  of  Maurice  of  Saxony. 

Death  of  Edward  VI,  Mary  succeeds  to  throne  of  England. 

1554.  Albert  Alcibiades  driven  from  Germany. 

Marriage  of  Philip  II  of  Spain  and  Queen  Mary  of  England. 

1555.  Diet  of  Augsburg. 
Religious  Peace  of  Augsburg. 

Death  of  Julius  III,  election  of  Paul  IV  (Caraffa). 

Fall  of  Siena. 

Abdication  of  Charles  V  at  Brussels. 

1556.  War  between  Paul  IV  and  Philip  II  of  Spain. 
Charles  V  resigns  the  throne  of  Spain. 

Due  de  Guise  in  Italy. 

1557.  Philip  II  and  Mary  of  England  go  to  war  with  France. 
Battle  of  St.  Quentin. 

Charles  V  retires  to  the  Monastery  of  Yuste. 
Queen  Catalina,  Regent  of  Portugal  for  her  grandson 
Sebastian. 

1558.  Calais  is  taken  by  the  French. 
Charles  V  resigns  the  Empire. 
Ferdinand  of  Austria  is  elected  Emperor. 

Death  of  Eleonore  of  Portugal,  widow  of  Fran9oi8  I. 
Death  of  Charles  V  at  Yuste,  September  21. 
Death  of  Marie  of  Hungary,  sister  of  Charks. 


INDEX 


Acuna,  Antonio  de,  70 

Adrian  VI  of  Utrecht,  Pope,  37, 

48,  61,  57,  59,  68,  72,  91,  92 
Agnadello,  battle  of,  29 
Agricola,    Johannes,     Protestant 

theologian,  231 
Aigues-Mortes,  140,  141 
Aix  (Aachen),  62,  122 
Aix  in  Provence,  135 
Albert  Alcibiades  of  Brandenburg- 

Culmbach,  247,  250,  251 
Albret,  Henri  d',  of  Navarre,  23, 

71,  91,  103 
Albret,  Jeanne  d',  167,  179,  195 
Aleander,  Girolamo,  Cardinal,  63, 

312 
Alexander  VI,  Pope,  77 
Algiers,  127,  130,  188-191,  259 
Almagro,  Diego  de,  144,  145,  147, 

148,  150,  154,  160 
Alsace,  67 

Alva,  Duke  of,  10,  191,  278,  286 
Alvarado,  83 
Amboise,  6,  169 
Amboise,  Georges  d',  15 
Amiens,  Peace  of,  113 
Angouleme,  Duke  d',  137 
Anne  de  Bretagne,  2,  42 
Anne  of  Hungary,  wife  of  Fer- 
dinand, 44,  67,  107,  212 
Antwerp,  3,  28,  29,  32.  181,  191, 

236,  261 
Aragon,  2,  6,  10,  47,  48,  56,  201, 

266 
Arthur,  Prince  of  England,  5,    6 
Artois,   102,   103,  115,   173,   175, 

191,  197,  205 
Assek,  136 
Atahuallpa,  Inca   of   Peru,   156— 

160 


Augsburg,  119,  182,  212,  213,  221, 

225, 231, 234, 237, 242, 243, 247, 

314,  315 
Augsburg,    Diet  of   (1530),    118, 

119,  123;  (1547),  232;  (1555), 

256 
Augsburg,  Peace  of,  257 
Austria,   30,  67,   180,   188,   199 
Austria,  Don  John   of,  290-292, 

300,  303 
Avila,  Luis  de,  285,  287 

Badajoz,  293,  294 

Badajoz,  Bishop  of,  59 

Bahamas,  76 

Balboa,  Nunes  de,  76,  144,  145 

Barbarossa,  48 

Barbarossa,    Kheyr-ed-din,    127, 

129,  131,  136,  192-195 
Barbary,  12 
Barcelona,  48,  57,  92,  141,  167, 

193 
Bavaria,  234 
Bavaria.  Dukes  of,  183 
Bayard,  71,  91 
Bayonne,  6,  168 
Beatrice  of  Portugal,  Duchess  of 

Savoy,  95,  164 
Biserta,  130 
Blomberg,    Barbara,    mother    of 

Don  John  of  Austria,  290,  300 
Bologna,  109,  116,  117,  118,  126, 

186,  212,  221,  222,  235,  308 
Bona,  130 
Borja,  Francesco,  Duke  of  Gandia, 

260,  279,  298,  317 
Boulogne,  39,  196, 
Bourbon,  Charles,  Due  de,  91-98, 

101,    102,    103,    106,    108-110, 

202,  203,  286 


325 


326 


INDEX 


Brabant,  5,  30,  173,  191,  205,  262 
Brandano,  226 
Brandenberg,  Ernest  of,  215 
Brandenberg,  Joachim  of,  216 
Brenner,  118,248,285,  316 
Brou,  15,  122 
Bruges,  173,  236 
Brunswick,  Eric  of,  183. 
Brussels,  3,  4,  30,  41,  42,  45,  123, 

234,  236,  251,  263,  269,  271, 

281,  286,  303 
Bucer,  Martin,  187 
Bugia,  190 

Burgos,  6,  58,  68,  168,  274 
Burgundy,  1,  34,  91,  100-103, 115, 

134,   167,  198,  199,  203,  204 
Burgundy,  Charles  of,  1,  17,  198, 

304 

Cabot,  Sebastian,  77 
Calabria,  127,  131 
Calais,  40,  61,  295,  297 
Cambray,  5,  28,  170,  251 
Cambray,  League  of,  28 
Cambray,  Treaty  of ,  115,  124,  204 
Campeggi,  120 
Caribbee  Islands,  76 
Carinthia,  67,  248,  316 
Carlos,  Don,  267,  274,  297,  303 
Carranza,  301 
Castiglione,  107,  112 
Castile,  2,  6,  9,  12,  13,  47,  48,  68, 

77,  162,  201,  242,  266,  267,  308 
Catalina,  youngest  sister  of  Charles 

V,  12,  19,  63,  54,  94,  253,  259, 

303 
Catalonia,  57 

Cateau  Cambresis,  Treaty  of,  297 
Caxamalca,  158 
Cerdagne,  48 
Ceresole,  battle  of,  195 
Chambord,  Treaty  of,  244 
Charles  VIII  of  France,  2,  200 
Chi^vres,     Guillaurae     de     Croy, 

Lord  of,  21,  37,  40,  45,  47,  49, 

60,  52,  53,  67 
Chili,  161,  303 
Cliristian  II,  King  of  Denmark, 

38,  42,  123,  171,  182 


'  Christian  III,  King  of  Denmark, 

181,  182 
Christina,  daughter  of  Christian  II, 

124,  170,  171,  177,  247,  263 
Claude,  daughter  of  Louis  XII,  5, 

19,  22,  42,  200 
Clement  VII,  Pope,  92,  106,  108- 

113,116,  117,125,126,128,186 
Cleves,  Anne  of,  179,  262 
Cleves,  John,  Duke  of,  179 
Cleves,     William,    Duke    of    {see 

William  de  la  Marck) 
Cognac,  League  of,  105 
Coligny,  Gaspard  de,  Admiral  of 

France,  269 
Cologne,  121,  122 
Columbus,  Christopher,  76 
Conflans,  Treaty  of,  101 
Constantinople,  125 
Contarini,  Gaspero,  Papal  Legate, 

185-188 
Cordilleras,  145-150 
Cordova,  8,  104,  287 
Corsica,  194,  258,  296 
Cortes,  Hernando,  Conqueror  of 

Mexico,  75, 78-88, 142-144, 152, 

156,   190 
Corunna,  59 
Courtrai,  175 
Cr6py,  Peace  of,  197, 198, 205,  207 

Darien,  77,  144 

Denmark,  171,  181,  182 

Diaz,  Bernal,  86,  88 

Doria,  Andrea,  Doge  of  Venice. 

92,  114,  125,  128,  189,  195,  222, 

258,  268,  285 
Dorothea,  daughter  of  Christian  II 

of  Denmark,  124,  171,  181,  196 
Dunkirk,  296 

Eck,  187 

Edward  IV  of  England,  17 
'  Edward  VI  of  England,  219,  247, 
I       252 

I  Egmond,    Charles    of    {see   Guel- 
!       ders) 

I  Egmond,  Florent  d',  31,  32 
I  E16onore,  Qu9en  of  Portugal  and 


INDEX 


327 


France,  4,  17,  19,  20,  23,  37,  38, 

49,  52,  92,  101,  103,  126,  140, 

167, 169, 204, 205, 234, 253, 263, 

272,  275,  278,  288,  289,  293-295 

Elizabeth  of  France,  247 

Emanuel,  King  of  Portugal,  6,  94 

England,  33,  61,   181,   184,  237, 

247,  254,  264 
Este,  Cardinal  d',  227,  235 

Farnese.  Ottavio,  Duke  of  Parma, 
139,  193,  235,  246 

Farnese,  Pierluigi,  son  of  Paul  III, 
222 

Ferdinand  I,  brother  of  Charles  V, 
8,  18,  19,  43,  44,  49,  54,  55,  67, 
95,  107,  119,  121,  122,  136,  167, 
177, 180, 183, 186, 192, 197, 211- 
214,  216,  217,  237,  238-241, 
246,  247,  249,  256,  270,  271, 
295,  303 

Ferdinand,  King  of  Spain,  1,  5,  7, 
10-13, 18, 19,  22,  30,  39,  43,  47, 
49,  163,  164,  200,  264,  304,  307 

Ferrara,  96,  109 

Ferrara,  Duke,  117 

Field  of  the  Cloth  of  Gold,  61 

Fiorenzuola,  109 

Flanders,  6,  9, 17, 19,  60, 102,  103, 
115,  136,  137,  171,  173,  176, 
191, 193, 197, 199, 278, 284, 296, 
314 

Florence,  96,  105,  110,  114,  117, 
133,  134,  138,  139,  194,  222, 
223,  225,  227,  228,  258 

Florida,  76 

Foix,  Germaine  de,  10 

France,  2,  28,  49,  91,  96,  100,  103, 
113,  135,  136,  139,  167,  168, 
179,  184,  191,  195,  196,  197, 
244,  246,  258,  261,  264 

Franche-Comte,  266 

Fran9ois  I  of  France,  42,  48,  49, 
57,  71,  91-108,  114,  115,  124, 
133,  135,  136,  137,  140,  141, 
167-170,  175,  179,  191,  192, 
193,  195,  197-206,  213,  219, 
230  243 

Franldort,  182,  184,  203,  213 


Friesland,  180 

Frundsberg,  Georg  von,  95,  108, 

109 
Fuenterrabia,  91,  168 
Fuggers,    Bankers    of    Augsburg, 

58,  211 

Galicia,  58 
Gallo,  149 
Gattinara,  Mercurino,  Arborio  de. 

Minister  of  Charles,  57,  100,  119 
Genoa,  92,  96,  114,  115,  116,  126, 

135,   140,   189,   193,  220,  222, 

239,  268,  310 
Germany,  106,  108,  118,  137,  193. 

205,  207,  209,  210,  224,  230. 

237  256  264 
Ghent,  1,  9,  32,  91,  123,  166,  173- 

178,  236,  272 
Giovio  Paolo,  132,  310,  311 
Goletta,  129,  130,  137 
Gonzaga,  Ferrante,  131,  222,  235. 

268 
Gonzaga,  Giulia,  128,  132 
Gonzaga,  Luigi,  132 
Gorkum,  Treaty  of,  262 
Governolo,  108 

Granada,  12,  104,  267,  291,  304 
Granvelle,  Antoine  Perronet  de, 

de,  246 
Granvelle,   Nicolas   Perronet  de, 

119,   168,   185,   187,   196,  210, 

233,  237 
Gravelines,  62 
Gravelinea,  battle  of,  297 
Gropper,  187 

Guasto,  Alfonso  del,  194,  195 
Guelders,  28-33,   179,   180,   195, 

262 
Guelders,  Charles,  Duke  of,  14,  15, 

23,  26,  28,  30,  32,  35,  46,  71,  91, 

103,115,136,179,261 
Guelders,  William,    Duke  of  (*ec 

William  de  la  Marck) 
Guise,  Duke  of,  286,  295,  296 

Hapsburgs,  1,  7,  23,  25,  167,  131 

Hainault,  5 

Hamburg,  Peace  of,  181 


328 


INDEX 


Harderwick,  31 

Helding,  Michael,  231 

Henri  II  of  France,  125,  126,  137, 

206,  228, 235, 244,  245, 247, 251, 

259 
Henry  VII  of  England,  17,  22 
Henry  VIII  of  England,  3,  30,  39, 

40,  43,  61,  73,  91-93,  96,  105, 

113,124,181,196,204,230 
Hesdin,  136,  251 
Hesse,  Philip  of,   184,  208,  209, 

216 
Hesse,  William  of,  244 
Holland,  28,  30,  32,  33 
Huascar  of  Peru,  155,  156,  160 
Hungary,  107,  136,  192 

Indies,  143,  152,  153,  236 

Ingolstadt,  210 

Innsbruck,  119, 245, 246,  248,  285, 

315 
Inquisition,    219-221,    257,    299, 

301 
•'  Interim,"  the,  231,  234,  237, 243 
Isabel,  Queen  of  Spain,  1,  2,  3,  4, 

5,  8,  9, 10, 11, 163, 202,  304,  307 
Isabel  of  Portugal,  daughter   of 

above,  2 
Isabel  of  Portugal,  Empress,  wife 

of  Charles  V,  103,  104,  126,  135, 

141,  164,  165,  166,  253.  284 
Isabelle     of     Austria,     sister     of 

Charles  V,  5, 19,  30, 42, 123, 171, 

172,  182 
Italy,  27,  33,  91,  93,  95,  102,  106, 

108,   115,    117,   125,   127,   128, 

136,   189,   192,  200,  205,  219, 

230,  264,  278,  286,  296,  304, 

307,  311 

Jean,  Prince  of  Denmark,  123, 124, 

171 
Jesuits,  the,  279 
Joao  III  of  Portugal,  54,  94,  253, 

260 
Juan,  Prince,  son  of  Ferdinand 

and  Isabel,  2 
Juan  of  Portugal,  253,  260 
Juana,  Queen  of  Spain,  mother  of 


Charles  V,  1-12,  19,  20,  42,  48^ 
62,68,135,253,259,275 
i  Juana,  Infanta,  dau  ghter  of  Charles 
V,  166,  253,  260,  267  273-277, 
284, 286,  288, 289, 294  297,  303, 
317 

Julius  II,  Pope,  33,  39 

Julius  III,  Pope,  234,  245,  246, 
257 

Katharine  of  Aragon,  3,  5,  6.  61, 
113,  124,  255 

Labrador,  77 

Lannoy,   Charles  de,   Viceroy  of 

Naples,  93.  96,  97,  99,  100,  102, 

110 
Las  Casas,  Bartolome  de.  Apostle 

of  the  Indies,  77,  78,  161,  296, 

299,  303,  317 
Lautrec,  Odet  de  Foix,  Governor 

of  Milan,  113,  114 
Le  Franc,  173 
Leo  X,  Pope,  39,  46,  63,  72,  91, 

203 
Leyva,  Antonio  de.  94,  96,  99, 114, 

134,  135 
Li^ge,  91,  199 
Lille,  3,  25,  40,  236 
Lodi,  94,  96 

Lombardy,  71,  137.  197,  201 
Lorraine,  199,  244,  247,  249,  250 
Louis  XII,  7, 10, 22,  29,  32,  42,  43, 

44,  200 
Louis  of  Hungary,  38,  43,  44,  67, 

107 
Louise  of  Savoie,  101,  114 
Lou  vain,  19,  21,  207,  234,  236,  245 
Liibeck,  181 
Lucca,  96,  134,  189 
Liique,   Hernando  de,    145,    149, 

150,  153,  154 
Luther,    Martin,    62,    63,    64-66, 

120,  121,  188,  208,  215 
Luxemburg,  185,  191,  195,  205 
Lyons,  7 

Madrid,  6,  101,  103,  166,  168,  203 
Madrid,  Treaty  of,  103,  105,  203 


INDEX 


329 


Magdeburg,  182,  217, 237,243,  244 

Magellan,  74,  75,  77 

Mainz,  183 

Majorca,  48,  189,  191 

Male,  Guillaume  Van,  Secretary 

of  Charlea  V,  242,  271,  285,  313, 

314,  316 
Malines,  15, 18, 19, 27,  30,  32, 175, 

176 
Malta,  127,  247 
Mantua,  118,  125,  304 
Mantua,  Federico  of,  108,  131, 135 
Manuel,  Don  Juan,  10 
Marck,  de  la,  Robert,  71,  91,  115, 

251 
Marck,  de  la,  William,  Duke  of 

Cleves,  179,  184,  191,  194,  195, 

216,  261,  262,  311 
Margaret  of  York,  3,  4,  17,  19 
Marguerite,  daughter  of  Francois 

I,  167,  169 

Marguerite,  Regent  of  the  Nether- 
lands, 2,  3,  4,  7,  8,  15,  17,  19, 
20-23,  25-35,  38-41,  43,  45,  56, 
58,  71,  96,  114,  121,  171,  204, 
205,  236,  261,  266,  305 

Marguerite  of  Alengon,  101,  140 

Marguerite  of  Austria,  Duchesa  of 
Parma,  illegitimate  daughter  of 
Charles  V,  132,  134,  138,  139, 
235,  284,  290,  303 

Maria  of  Portugal,  wife  of  Philip 

II,  192 

Maria  of  Portugal,  daughter  of 
Elfonore,  253,  278,  289,  294 

Marie  of  Austria,  Queen  of  Hun- 
gary, 19,  43,  44,  67,  107,  122, 
136,  141,  170,  173-177,  180, 
185, 191, 193, 205, 209, 217, 234, 
236, 239, 246, 248, 249, 261, 262, 
263,  266,  270,  272,  288,  293- 
295,  302 

Mary,  Infanta,  daughter  of  Charles 
V,  126.  166,  167, 196,  234,  239, 
271,  284,  303 

Mary,  Queen  of  England,  73,  219, 
252-255 

Mary  Tudor,  daughter  of  Henry 
VII,  22,  41,  43 


Marignano,  battle  of,  44 
Marseilles,  92,  93,  126,  135,  192, 

193,  194 

Mathys,  doctor  to  Charles  V,  272, 

298,  313,  317 
Maximilian  I,  Emperor,  1,  2,  14, 

18-22,  25,  27-30,  38-41,  44,  45, 

49,  57,  198,  202,  203,  230,  261, 

264,  304,  305 
Maximilian  II,  son  of  Ferdinand, 

234,  238-240,  271,  303 
Mecklenburg,  Duke  of,  244 
Medici,  Alessandro  dei,  132,  134, 

138 
Medici,  Catherine  dei,  125,  126, 

140,  169 
Medici,  Cosimo  dei,  138,  139,  193, 

194,  222-228,  258 

Medici,  Giovanni  dei  (della  Bande 

Nere),  108,  138 
Medici,  Ippohto  dei,  128,  134 
Melancthon,  Philip,  120,  187,  201, 

245 
Mendoza,  Antonio  de,  144 
Mendoza,  Diego  Hurtado  de,  224, 

226 
Metz,  185,  244,  247,  250,  278 
Mexico,  75,  78-88,  142-144,  161, 

192,  303 
Miguel,  Prince  of  Portugal,  2,  5 
Milan,  27,  38,  71,  91, 106, 114, 133, 

134, 137, 167, 180, 193, 197, 200, 

205,  258,  278 
Minorca,  289,  296 
Mirandola,  235 
Mohacs,  battle  of,  107 
Moncado,  Ugo  de,  106,  113 
Moncenigo,  140 
Montemurlo,   139 
Montezuma,  80,  82-85 
Morone,  Giovanni,  Legate,  185,312 
Miihlberg,  battle  of,  213,  214,  222 
Muley  Hassan,  King  of  Tunis,  128, 

130 
Miinster,  180 

Namur,  259,  291 

Naples,  7,  11,  47,  91,  96,  114,  128, 
131,  132,  133,  197,  200,  219- 


S30 


INDEX 


Naples  (contd.) : 

221,  227,  228,  258,   278,  291, 
299 

Nassau,  Henri  de,  32,  34,  134,  135 

Navarre,  6, 13, 48.  71,  91, 163, 167, 
179, 267 

Netherlands,  1,  4,  15,  23,  25,  27, 
34,  38,  40,  42,  56,  71,  91,  103, 
106,  122,  135,  137,  167,  171, 
173,  176-180,  182,  193,  197, 
199,  201,  217,  234,  236,  238, 
239,  248,  251,  254,  261-267, 
278,  286,  288,  295,  296,  302, 
311 

Neustadt,  185 

Nice,  137,  139,  186,  194,  195 

Novara,  91,  139 

Noyon,  Peace  of,  49 

Nuremberg,  95,  183, 192,  245,  251 

Nuremberg,  League  of,  183 

Ocampo,  Florian  de,  309 
Ochino,  Bernardino,  133 
Oran,  12,  295,  301 
Orange,  Prince  of,  110,  114,  166, 

263 
Orleans,  Duke  of,  167,  168,  170, 

191,  196,  197,  205 
Otumpa,  battle  of,  84 

Pacific  Ocean,  75,  76,  144 
Padilla,  Garcia  de,  68,  70 
Padua,  29,  30 
Palatine,    Count,    Frederick    II, 

married  Dorothea  of  Denmark, 

124,  125,  171,  181,  187,  212 
Palermo,  131 
Panama,  144,  146,  147,  151,  152, 

154,  155 
Paris,  5,  170,  196,  205,  247 
Parma,  72,  116,  235,  246,  249 
Parma,  Alexander  of,  303 
Passau,  Convention  of,  249 
•Paul  III,  Pope,  128, 133, 136,  137, 

139,  183,  186,  193,  212,  218- 

222  234  243 
Paul  IV,  Pope,  257,  258,  270,  278 
Pavia,  battle  of,  97-100,  203 
PAronne,  Treaty  of,  101 


Peru,  144-160,  164 
Pescara,  Marchese  de,  91,  97,  106 
Peter  Martyr  of  Angheria,  56,  307 
Pflug,  Julius  von,  187,  231 
Philibert  le  Beaux,  of  Savoy,  8, 

15,  122 
Philip,  son  of  Charles  V,  111,  119, 

126,    166,   167,   168,   179,   180, 

191,   192,   193,  222,  234,  236, 

238-241,    243,    249,    252-255, 

262-268,   272,   278,   284,   286, 

289, 291, 292, 295. 297,  302,  303, 

309,  314,  315,  317 
Philippe    of    Austria,    father    of 

Charles  V,  1,  2,  3,  6.  7,  9,  11,  12, 

14,  15,  18,  19,  53,  201 
Philippine  Islands,  the,  74 
Piacenza,  72,  116,  222 
Picardy,  134,  175,  196,  205,  259, 

264 
Piedmont,  135,  205 
Piombo,  Sebastiano  del,  74 
Pistorius,  187 
Pizarro,  Francisco,  conqueror  of 

Peru,  144-161  ;    Hernando  his 

brother,   153,   158 
Portugal,  77,  94,  95,  165,  253,  276, 

278,  289,  293 
Portland,  3,  272 
Poyning,  Edward,  33 
Provence,  92,  96,  136 

Quijada,  Luis  de.  Chamberlain  of 
Charles  V,  271,  273,  277,  290, 
291,  300,  302,  313,  316,  317 

Quiiiones,  113 

Quito,  156 

Ratisbon,  123,  180,  185-189,  208, 

209,  290 
Regensburg,  182,  213 
Ren6e,  daughter  of  Louis  XII,  43 
Renzo  da  Ceri,  92 
Rome,  28,  107,  128, 133,  134,  219, 

286;    sack  of,   110,   111,    )86, 

204,  226 
Roussillon,  48,  93,  191,  205 

Saint  Quentin,  5, 170 
Saint  Quentin,  battle  of,  38ft 


INDEX 


381 


Salamanca,  59 

Saragossa,    55,    56,    124 ;     Arch- 
bishop of,  55 
Sauvage,  Jean  Le,  51,  57 
Savoy,  7,  133,  134,  135,  137,  199 
Savoy,  Charles  of,  137,  164 
Savoy,  Emanuel  Phihbert  of,  251, 

266,  278 
Saxony,  64,  182 
Saxony,  Augustus  of,  252 
Saxony,  Frederick  of,  64 
Saxony,  George  of,  183,  184 
Saxony,  John  Frederick  of,  208, 

211,  213-216,  244,  248,  251 

Saxony,  Maurice  of,  209,  211,  213, 

215,  243,  244,  246,  247,  249, 

251,  315 

Schmalkalden,  League  of,  182,  216 

Sebastian  of  Portugal,  253,  276, 

303 
Segovia,  68 
Sepulveda,   Juan  Jines  de,  287, 

305,  308,  309 
Seville,  103,  152 
Sforza,     Caterina,     Countess     of 

Foldi,  138  ~ 
Sforza,   Francesco,  94,  105,    124, 

133,  171 
Sforza,  Lodovico,  30,  34 
Sforza,  Maximilian,  34,  38,  39,  44 
Sicily,  48,  131,  136,  137,  266,  278 
Siena,  96,  134,  193,  223-229,  258 
Sievershausen,  battle  of,  251 
Sigismund,  King  of  Poland,  23 
Simancas,  316,  317 
Solyman  II,  127,  136,  192 
Spain,  2,  4,  5,  6,  8,  17,  33,  48,  49, 
58,  68,  90,  92,  103,  106,  107, 
126,   127,   135,   136,   137,   141, 
144,    163,   164,   165,   167,   168, 
189,   191,   193,   197,  201,  230, 
234,  249,  253,  258,  261,  270, 
288,  289,  296,  297,  298,  314 
Speyer,  Diet  of,  196 
SpinelU,  37,  38 
Spurs,  battle  of,  40 
Strassburg,  212,  237,  247 
Strozzi,  Filippi,  139 
Strozzi,  Piero,  228 


Styria,  67 

Suffolk,  Duke  of,  92 

Swabia,  67 

Swabian  League,  233 

Sweden,  123,  171,  196 

Switzerland,  199,  237 

Tenochtitlan,  82 

Terouenne,  40,  251 

Tezcuco,  86 

Thionville,  296 

Tiel,  27,  33,  35 

Titian,  284,  304 

Toledo,  6,  59,  70,  101,  162,  138, 

162,  163,  165 
Toledo,  Don  Garzia  de,  227,  228 
Toledo,    Pedro    de.    Viceroy    of 

Naples,  128,  132,  219 
Tordesillas,  52,  54,  135,  250 
Torquemada,  12,  274 
Torriano,  Giovanni,  mechanician 

to   Charles   V,   272,  283,  285, 

305 
Toul,  244,  247 
Toulon,  195 

Tournay,  40,  41,  71,  103,  186 
Transylvania,  238,  247 
Tr6mouille,  La,  94 
Trent,  221,  222,  235 
Trent,  Council  of,  208,  221 
Trent,  Treaty  of,  5 
Trieste,  28 
Tripoh,  127,  247 
Truxillo,    birthplace    of    Piearro, 

153 
Tumbez,  150,  151,  153,  156,  156 
Tunis,   127,   129,   130,   163,  283, 

291,  307,  308,  311 
Turin,  134 

Tuscany,  193,  194,  226 
Tyrol,29,  33,  67,  97,  118 

Ulm,  211,  212,  213 
Urbino,  Duke  of,  109,  117 
Utrecht,  31 
Utrecht,  Bishop  of,  29,  33 

Vacca,  Louis,  Tutor  to  Charles, 
21,  36 


332 


INDEX 


Valencia,  48,  57,  59,  101 
Valenciennes,   71,  170,   177,  236 
Valladolid,  6,  11,  51,  55,  58,  111, 

141, 168, 267,  274-276,  282,  286, 

288,  303,  307 
Vandenesse,   168,   170,   190,  236, 

312 
Vaucelles,  truce  of  (1556),  270 
Velasquez,    Diego,    Governor    of 

Cuba,  78,  79,  86.  88,  142 
Venice,  28,  29,  30,  33,  96,   105, 

114,   117,   118,   126,   133,   141, 

186,  259,  261 
Vera  Cruz,  79,  83,  86 
Vera,  Juan  ds,  18,  21 
Verallo,  222,  312 
Verdun,  244,  245 
Vergerio,  Pietro  Paolo,  183,  312 
Vienna,  116,  119,  124,  125,  192, 

303 
Villach,  248 

Villalar,  battle  of  (1521),  71 
Vittoria,  6,  168 

Warbeck,  Perkin,  17 


Windsor,  Treaty  of,  73 
Wittenberg,  211,  213,  215,  299 
Wladialaw  II,  King  of  Hungary 

and  Bohemia,  43 
Wolsey,  Thomas,  Cardinal,  41,  62, 

72   95 
Worms,  Diet  of    (1521),    62-67; 

(1545),  207 
Wurttemberg,  67,  95,  180,  238 
Wiirtemburg,    Ulrich,    Duke   of, 

180,  208,  212 

Ximenes,  Archbishop  of   Toledo, 
9,  12,  48,  49,  50,  52 

Ypres,  173,  236 

Yuste,  271,  272,  275,  277,  279, 

281-288,   290,   293,   297,   298, 

300,  301,  305,  313 

Zapolya,  King  of  Hungary,  136 
Zaragoza,  6,  7 
Zuiderzee,  33 
Zutphen,  28,  195,  262 
Zwingli,  120 


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